To Claim and Possess
by Xaphrin
Summary: A fight with Adonis forces Beast Boy to fully confront his primal nature and the beast living inside him. This encounter is not by chance, and the beast pursues Raven, claiming she is his mate. But Beast Boy and his beast are not the only ones fighting for Raven. Adonis will not let her go either, and he will stop at nothing to make sure Beast Boy loses. Primeval rewrite.
1. Prologue

_Author's Note: To all of you who have read "Primeval" and to any of you who have contacted me via Personal Message, you know how I felt about the last few chapters of the story. I was fighting with it, arguing with it, and in the end I gave something that was okay, but was not on par with some of my other work. That's not fair to you and it wasn't fair to my story. So, I have decided to try again, and while the story will be mostly the same, I have tweaked it just a little to get it to work. A lot of this you've already read, some of this you haven't, but I hope you enjoy it or re-enjoy it just the same.  
Thanks again for all your support._

**To Claim and Possess  
**

Prologue

Rain splattered on the leaves above their heads, ticking furiously somewhere between a drizzle and full downpour. Raven leaned against the tree trunk, tapping her fingertips on her knees. Of all the people she could have gotten stuck with on this mission, it had to be Beast Boy. She could have handled Starfire with her chattiness, Robin with his stoic deduction, and even Cyborg with his… _Cyborgness_. But Beast Boy? _Really_?

"You're giving me the hairy eye, Raven. Seriously… what did I do wrong?"

Raven turned away and frowned. She had to keep reminding herself that this wasn't his fault. He didn't ask for this mission, and he didn't ask for Raven to be his partner. It was just the nature of the beast, if Raven could forgive herself for such a terrible pun. Adonis had been released from Jump City Penitentiary last night on the grounds of good behavior (which was, in Raven's eyes, a total crock), and he was rumored to return here. Beast Boy and Raven were sent to make sure that he didn't violate parole before the ink was dry on his release papers.

Raven took a deep breath and kept herself from snapping at Beast Boy. This wasn't his fault. He didn't make the decision to go on this mission, it was a group decision, and he just happened to be the best candidate. Raven moved closer to the tree trunk, trying to shield herself from the onslaught of rain. "I just don't understand why it had to be _me_ with you… Adonis only likes pretty girls, why didn't you take Starfire? If you wanted to bait the beast, you should have brought her."

"Nope. I am not even going to comment." Beast Boy rolled his eyes and stood up, uncurling his spine from its hunched position. "That is a loaded statement and I am not going to even _try _to respond." He crossed his arms over his chest and stared out into the murky darkness of the forest at twilight.

Although he feigned indifference, Raven could feel his edge roiling under the surface of his skin like poison leaking from an old wound. It had been four years since they fought Adonis and put him away, and four years since Beast Boy had to confront the thing living inside him. The beast did not vanish with Adonis's defeat, it was still there clawing at him, begging for release. Raven knew he struggled with it every day, fought with the primal instincts that drove him to be an animal, but he never gave any indication of the turmoil inside him. He carried on with his life, laughing, playing, fighting… being himself.

And in spite of her own feigned indifference, she was proud of his control… but she also knew it would eventually break.

He sighed and turned around to face her, lines of weariness starting to show on his face. "I didn't want you here anyway, Robin just thought it was a good idea to have some back up… and considering you were his target of choice last time he… _ya know_… Robin thought you should come."

"I know that." Raven looked away, frowning. She felt the anger boil and then quickly dissipate between them. She looked up at Beast Boy and sighed, reminding herself for the millionth time that this wasn't his fault. There were a thousand other things he could be blamed for, but this wasn't one of them. "I… I know."

"I don't like it either. It just… It just doesn't _feel _right." He moved slowly, pacing around the trees and sniffing at the air, looking for any sign of Adonis. The beast was gnawing at him tonight, anxious for a fight. Raven could feel the sharp spike of power every time it tore at Beast Boy's psyche. It wanted to be free. It wanted action. But Beast Boy refused to give up control, he knew what happened when he did, and he refused to allow that kind of damage to come from him.

Raven sighed and patted the ground next to her. "Come here, Gar."

He paused and Raven saw the flicker of something dark in his eyes. "Why?"

"Because, your pacing is driving me nuts and your energy is going to send my own powers into haywire mode if you don't _calm down_." She looked up at him and frowned, feeling his energy reach toward her then pull away quickly. "Now, _seriously_, come here and sit down. Let me help you."

"I'm fine." Beast Boy stopped pacing and shifted his weight around, but he didn't move any closer to her. There was another long pause as he continued to stare into the forest. "I'm just anxious… I don't want to believe that Adonis can be released for 'good behavior'. There isn't a good bone in his body." He resumed pacing and Raven stood up, now thoroughly irritated. His energy was going to throw her whole powers out of whack if he didn't find some iota of tranquility.

"Calm down." She took his hand and yanked hard, forcing him to stop in his tracks. The tension snapped and his energy lashed out. Beast Boy turned, gnashing his teeth at her and growling low in his throat, but Raven planted her feet and stood her ground. This was not the first time the beast had broken the surface to get to her, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. Beast Boy was strong, but there were times when the beast was far stronger, and he would always get what he wanted.

Beast Boy gasped for breath as he regained control of himself, grimacing with pain as he forced the energy inside him into submission. His hands shook and he took a step back, trying to put more space between them, eyes clouded and distant. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean for that to happen."

"I know." She dusted off her cloak and moved closer to him, holding out her hands for his own. "You need to _calm down_. I can help you, just give me your hand again."

"I don't need your silly healing chakra or whatever, Raven… I just need this night to be over." There was a wave of guilt that rushed between them and Beast Boy frowned. He rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at her. "Sorry… that was mean."

"Yes it was." Raven retreated to her one dry spot underneath the tree.

He looked back at her, his face a mixture of guilt and sheepishness. "I'm just on edge."

"Yes… I know. We've had that conversation already." She sighed and leaned back against the tree trunk. "You don't have to accept my help, but I _am_ asking you to quit annoying me right now. So, either shut up and sit down, or get out of my sight."

Raven felt remorse push against her senses. He was genuinely sorry for upsetting her, but she didn't need to be so harsh with him either. He always made her emotions a jumble of feelings, and it set her own teeth on edge. Beast Boy sighed and moved back towards her, flopping down in the dirt. He looked into her eyes before unceremoniously thrusting his right hand in front of her as a peace offering. "Okay… show me what I need to do to calm down."

"Relax…" She placed her hand over his and felt his fingers twitch just a little at the contact. There was a surge of reservation and concern, but he managed to still his feelings before they grew out of control. "Be still… take a deep breath, in and out…" Raven pressed a bit deeper into his skin and his aura, but met some resistance with the power beneath him. The beast was stronger than she last remembered, and he seemed unusually territorial over Beast Boy's body. His presence pushed back at her, forcing Raven to retreat just a little. She refused to be intimidated by him, he would not win against her.

Raven moved herself forward, past the beast's resistance and pressing deeper into Beast Boy's aura, closing in on his psyche. She could feel the power around her, his memories, his feeling, pieces of his soul that made him who he was. In the distance, she knew the beast surrounded her, staying far enough away that she couldn't read him or his intentions, but coming close enough for her to realize that he was a threat. She was in his territory, and like the beast he was, he would defend it.

Raven ignored the shadow of the beast, and moved closer to Beast Boy's psyche, reaching out and stilling the waves of energy rolling off of energy. His nervousness, his fear, his concern, and his reservation all stilled into a few moments of lucid tranquility. Raven knew it wouldn't last forever, it was just a temporary fix, but it would at least calm him down enough to fight rationally. If the beast gained too much hold, everyone in the vicinity could be in danger, including Raven. She calmed his nerves before making her way out of his aura again. This time, the beast followed closer, readying to attack her, and in the distance, she heard him growl.

_You think to rule me?_

Raven tried to move toward the source of the words shimmering in the aura around her.

_You enter this soul with no regard to what is here… you think to rule me. To change me._

Panic rose in her throat as Raven tried to pull away from Beast Boy. Bad. This was very, very bad. She had to be delicate in removing herself from him, one wrong move and a piece of her own soul would be permanently connected with his. She edged toward the end of his aura, where the beast's pull was weak and she could disentangle herself from him. The air stilled around her, and she could feel a gentle caress against her soul, as if something was trying to understand what she was.

_You are a demon. A beast, like me…_

Pain shot through her as a cold mist twisted around her aura, pulling and tugging at her own soul until she felt as though she were being dissected, laid open for the beast to see all parts of her. He picked at her, entered her, moved her around until he could see who she was, what she was, her memories, her triumphs, her vanities, her weaknesses… it was all there for him to observe. Raven tried to scream, but she could make no sound, and her soul gave no resistance against his perverted exploration.

_You are a demon… you're_ his _demon._

Through the pain, Raven stilled. His? Whose demon was she? She didn't belong to anyone, she was a person, not an object. Raven fought against the mist picking apart her aura, looking at her with more than an innocent interest. It wanted to know everything about her, every fault and every perfection. Raven struggled against his hold, clawing at the energy for some hope of escape. The beast seemed almost amused by her futile attempts at escape, and it laughed a low rumble into her.

_This is my territory and you have entered it without my consent. You are not free to leave without giving me some kind of collateral, a token of your gratitude for sparing your soul._

Raven felt the energy move, picking through her memories, searching for something. It shifted over all the ones with her friends, all the times she grew close to Robin, or Starfire, or Cyborg. Finally, it ripped through the memories with Beast Boy like a child ripping through a birthday package. One memory after another, pulling each apart until it found what it wanted. Minutes passed, maybe hours, and then he discovered a favorite memory, it was sunset… and she was with…

His energy paused over the memory, enjoying its beauty before he ripped it from her soul and retreated into the territory of Beast Boy's psyche.

… the sunset? …who had she been with?

_I will take this as payment. You may go._

It released her with a violent strike to her soul and Raven gasped for air as she was thrown back into her own body. Her head slammed against the tree behind her and she finally yelled out the curse locked up in her throat.

"Raven… Raven!" Beast Boy gasped and jumped forward pulling her close and into the shelter of his body. She stilled against his touch, trying to make sense of what happened in his aura. It wasn't the first time she had entered Beast Boy's soul, she had done the exact same thing a dozen times before, but it was the first time that the beast was an actual threat. Was it because of Adonis? Or was there something else that drove the beast to behave like an animal?

"I'm fine… I just… I got a little too close to your beast. That's all." Raven pushed his hands off of her and sat up, rubbing her head. She felt _strange_, like there was a piece of her completely missing and she felt kind of hollow without it.

"What… happened?"

"I… I'm not sure…" Raven rubbed the back of her head again before looking over at her friend. She wanted to tell him the truth, that the beast had attacked her and ripped her apart looking for a memory to steal. But he was already too worked up over Adonis, and he still felt a little on edge about this mission, Raven couldn't tell him. She couldn't give Beast Boy another reason to hate himself. Instead, she forced a weak, broken smile and stood up. "I think I'm just a little rusty. You haven't let me help your psyche in a long time, I don't think the beast remembered who I was."

"I'm sorry… he's been… temperamental lately." He shrugged and looked back into the inky darkness, refusing to elaborate on what that meant exactly. There was a long moment of stillness between them before he looked back over at her and sighed. "You really did help me today… I feel a little better for right now, like the beast is at bay, and I can actually think for a few minutes."

"It's only temporary, Beast Boy… in a few hours you'll go back to feeling whatever you want to feel at the time, but for right now, you have peace." Raven felt a chill run through her body as she heard a lone cry of a wolf, somewhere far in the distance. Her mind began to wander, dwelling on her interaction with the beast. He had taken something precious from her, but she couldn't remember what. It was a warm memory, something she cherished…

"He's claiming his territory…" Beast Boy cocked his head to the side and listened to the sound, a frown tugging at his lips. "We're invading his space."

"I know the feeling." Raven wrapped her cloak around her tighter and retreated into the shadows.

"It's getting dark, Raven… do you want to stay, or do you want to go home? I can have the wolves keep an eye on the woods for us. They'll let me know if Adonis decides to show, or if he decides to violate parole." Beast Boy sighed and leaned back on his heels, his body easily accepting the tranquility she gave him. Raven tried not to think about what that stillness cost her.

"I do all that work to calm you down and you want to leave?" Raven rolled her eyes and moved away from him, still fighting to tie the pieces of her stolen memory together. It was a sunset, but who was she with and what happened between them? "Seriously, Beast Boy… you're such a slacker."

"I'm not a slacker!" He chased after her, and Raven felt his energy push at her. He pretended to be insulted, but his aura was laughing. It was a game, and he liked to play games. "I do plenty of work around the tower."

Raven forced her lips to keep from smiling as she stared up at him. His energy was almost contagious, and for a few moments she forgot about the new, strange hollowness eating at her soul. "Uh-huh? And when was the last time you picked up your socks from the living room? Or did your share of the dishes? Or took Silkie out for a walk?"

"Awe, come _on_! I took him out this morning and you know it." He pouted and looked away. Now, he was kind of insulted, and Raven felt a little bad about pushing him too far. "You don't have to be so mean, Rae."

"You don't have to be so lazy either." Raven cringed under the shelter of her hood. Why couldn't she stop teasing him? It was like something inside her enjoyed picking at him and enjoyed the rise she got out of him, enough to make her forget sometimes that he was her friend. She feigned nonchalance as he pouted some more and moved away from her. "I don't think Adonis is going to show tonight… at least not here. Let's check back tomorrow evening and we'll…" Raven drifted off as she felt a long-forgotten surge of power rip at her soul.

Adonis.

The wolves howled again, this time alerting Beast Boy to the new intruder on his territory. He stilled and turned to stare into the darkness. The sun had set fully now, and the forest was pitch black in the rain, making it impossible to see what could be lurking out there. Beast Boy crouched low, digging his fingers and feet into the ground. Like a great cat, he was all coiled muscle, ready to pounce and attack at the first sign of Adonis. "He came…"

"Hang on…" Raven pressed a hand to her shoulder, feeling his skin flinch under her touch. His energy started to twist again, wrapping around her with such ferocity that she was forced to pull away. This scenario couldn't have gotten any worse, Adonis was here and Beast Boy was one wrong move away from tearing limbs from people's bodies. "He hasn't done anything wrong yet, don't instigate a fight if we don't have to."

She could feel Beast Boy's spite and unbridled anger race through them, nearly erasing all of Raven's hard work she'd done to calm his psyche. "He deserves everything he gets." Beast Boy didn't look up at her, but still stared ahead, growling low in his throat. "_Everything_. He doesn't deserve forgiveness or a chance at parole."

"Beast Boy… calm down… we can't jump blindly into a fight, that's asking for us to get hurt." Raven reached out to touch him again, but pulled back when he snapped at her. Emotions wrapped around her, twisting and contorting her own powers until she felt like she was going to lose control. The beast was growing stronger as Adonis came closer, but the surge of power didn't come from their proximity to each other, the beast was trying to protect something.

Beast Boy didn't have a chance to respond. Adonis, his body contorted as his own beast, tore through the trees hissing and spitting as his body rammed into Beast Boy's. There was a loud, sickening shockwave as they connected, the force of Adonis' attack throwing Beast Boy to the ground in a show of dominance.

Beast Boy snapped under the tension and he roared at his opponent. There was no containing the beast now. He finally broke free and surged to the surface with such power that Raven was knocked off her feet and thrown to the ground, lying open and unguarded against attacks. Adonis saw the opportunity and took it.

He lunged toward Raven's body, fangs displayed and claws outstretched, but Beast Boy threw himself into his body, and all of them rolled along the forest floor in a tangle of arms and legs. Beast Boy howled and snarled as his claws flashed and he threw Adonis's body from Raven. Pain ripped through her consciousness when her side became collateral damage in the fight, as Beast Boy's claws dug into her hip, gouging three perfect lines.

She cursed as her vision darkened with the pain. Through her haze she could see them fighting, cursing and scratching at each other, fighting for dominance. Raven could barely see their movements, but she knew each blow and each strike was meant to kill. Beast Boy snarled and charged Adonis, his claws wrapping around Adonis' throat and throwing him into the dirt and landing on top of him. Adonis snarled and spit and cursed, pushing back at Beast Boy, trying to break his hold.

"Stop…" Raven pushed the pain out of sight and stood up, clinging to the tree for support. Adonis was writhing around like a fish, his own claws digging into the dirt for something to hold on to. His body was starting to give out, and Beast Boy was going to kill him. "Beast Boy, _stop…_" He didn't even flinch at the sound of his name. Raven gathered what energy she had left and yelled. "STOP!"

The force of her powers pushed Beast Boy from Adonis, sending them both skittering across the forest floor. There was a long moment of tense silence as Adonis gasped for breath before slinking away into the darkness. Raven knew better than to chase after him, that would only make them fight again. She swallowed hard and looked at Beast Boy, lying on the floor, breathing slowly. The gentle ebb and flow of his psyche was replaced by the brutal, dominant push of the beast. Beast Boy may have returned to his human form, but he did not control his own body

Raven looked into her friend's dark eyes, fighting to keep her powers from lashing out to protect her. He stood up and stared at her, eyeing her up as if she were prey. "You _pathetic_ demon. You interfered into the territory of _my _soul and when I seek to end a fight, you let my opponent _live_?"

Raven tilted her chin up defiantly, ignoring the weak feeling in her arms and legs. How had today gone so horribly wrong? It wasn't ever supposed to happen like this, it was _supposed _to be a normal, boring mission. All they had to do was make sure Adonis didn't violate parole. So, how had this _chaos _happened? "He did nothing wrong. We were only here to make sure he didn't violate parole, not instigate a fight."

"_He_ attacked _us_ first."

"That doesn't mean we can kill him."

"He invaded my territory."

"We invaded the wolves' territory, how is that any different?" Raven looked him in the eyes, trying to find any shred of Beast Boy left. He was there, still trying to fight for control of his own body, but the beast would not let go just yet. Raven raised herself to her full and unimpressive height and glared. "Back down."

He looked at her, cocking his head to the side as he examined her. There was a long moment before he pressed close to her, touching the bloody wound on her hip. He smiled and whispered an enigmatic: "You'll do."

)O(

_Well… let me know what you think. Be advised that I will not fully focus on this until I complete "Primeval" … which should be sometime very soon. The last two chapters are almost done in my head, and I just need to transpose them to page. Anyway, let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!_


	2. Chapter One

**To Claim and Possess  
**Chapter One

Raven stood in the middle of a field, staring at the stars above her. The constellations looked strange and out of place. Somewhere in her subconscious, she knew that it should have been summer, and Hercules should have been in a perfect location in front of her. But the patterns were winter, contorting Raven's perception of time. Orion, the Hunter, stood proudly above her head, holding his club as if readying for a kill. What had once looked so beautiful and innocent before, now suddenly seemed ominous.

Her teeth chattered behind her lips as a cold wind whipped at her, clawing at her skin until it turned red with discomfort. It was far too cold to be July. She took a slow, deep breath and turned her stare to the dark forest line in front of her. The night should have been still, but she felt movement from behind the trees. Soft padding on underbrush, as if something was lying in wait, hunting her.

"I'm not afraid." The words didn't sound like they came from her throat. The notes felt twisted and distorted, turning her normal monotone voice into a broken shrill. "I will not be afraid."

Her response was one, lone howl, reverberating into the field and echoing in the space around her. Silence followed the note and all movement stopped. She could feel the tension stretch around her, like a rubber band pulled too tight. There was a long moment before a chorus of cries erupted from the trees, each with its own special tune, creating untamed melodies. Like a wild symphony readying to play. Raven looked into the trees again, waiting for the hollow sound to stop echoing. It tapered off, and out of the forest stepped the beast, strong, powerful… more animal than man. He looked into her eyes and took another step closer to her.

"This is my territory. You have entered it without my consent."

"You already have payment." Raven didn't even have time to wait for a response as the world around her melted away into a myriad of colors and sounds. She knew that she was at Titan tower, on the roof. The waves splashed far below her, and she could smell the scent of sea breeze and city from the bay. It was still cool, but she didn't feel cold… she felt, _warm._ Like something was sheltering her from the frigid air. What was making her so warm? She opened her eyes, trying to see…

… and woke up in her room. Raven sighed and sat up, holding her head in her hands. That was the third time this week that she had that particular dream. It always started the same and ended the same, with no recollection as to why she was there, or what her mind was trying to remember. It had to do with the memory the beast had stolen from her. But what memory was it, and why did he want it?

Her head started to buzz with a million different emotions, each one vying for her attention. Raven took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She wasn't going to do herself any good if she didn't calm down.

"Raven."

Raven jumped and glanced at her clock, realizing it was almost eight, far past her usual morning. "Good morning, Robin." Most mornings she spent with the only other early-riser drinking coffee and discussing case files, and if she didn't come down to see him, he became concerned. Like today.

"The prison files you requested came in this morning." There was a short pause as if he was debating telling her something, and then decided against it. "There's tea steeping for you too. Come down when you're ready."

"Thank you."

Raven heard Robin leave and she sighed. Robin could tell something was wrong, but he was smart enough to not pry, and she was grateful for that. She didn't know what she'd say to him if he questioned the mission last week. That the beast reared his ugly head and she was caught in the crossfire? Yeah, that would work out well. She pulled herself from under the covers and went to her bathroom, turning on the shower. It didn't matter how powerful she was, she was no match against the dreaded bed head. She undressed and stepped into the shower, letting the warm water slide over her body and relax her unusually tense muscles.

Raven looked down at the three perfect scars marring her right hip and cursed. They were still there from her fight with Adonis, when Beast Boy's claws had caught her hip. She had spent days after trying to heal the injury, and while the physical wound was gone, she still could not figure out why her powers had refused to dissolve the mark. She never scarred, her skin healed and cells rearranged to hide any evidence that she had been in a fight. But this time, it was different. The gashes were healed, but the evidence stayed, like some kind of brand against her skin.

She sighed and stared up into the warm stream of water, trying to wash away the strange feeling that clung to her. What had happened in the woods? She knew that something had changed, but she had no idea what it was or how to control it. Pushing the sick feeling of confusion to the back of her mind, she finished washing and stepped out of the shower. Looking into her reflection, she wasn't quite sure who the girl was staring back at her. She seemed unusually pale, her eyes sunken and dark, and her lips trembled under her inspection. What was _wrong_ with her? She shook it off and donned her uniform before heading downstairs.

Robin was sitting at his usual spot at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper on his iPad, with a scowl. Raven smirked under the shadows of her cloak. The usually technology savvy Titan still preferred to read the physical paper, because he "liked seeing the paper all laid out so I can connect the dots". To which Raven usually responded that unfortunately print media was dead and that was something he was going to have to accept. Also, his statement sounded like someone suffering from an extreme case of schizophrenia. Which, sometimes Raven seriously wondered if Robin had.

"You're up late today, Rae." Robin was the only person in the world who could call her "Rae" and not find themselves in a separate dimension. He looked up at her, waiting for a response, but when there was no answer he dropped the invisible question. "Tea's ready for you."

"Thank you." She dropped down next to him and stared into her mug, frowning. There was a long stretch of silence between them, as Raven stared at the manila folder in front of her, thick with papers and reports. "You said this is the prison file I requested?"

Robin looked up and turned off his iPad, staring at her. There was the feeling of his eyes roving her face, looking for any clues, but she kept her expression blank and unreadable. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, still watching her. "Yes. Although I don't know what you think you'll find. Everything in there was the same as the report given to us. He was released early for good behavior, and entered into a plea bargain for information on his involvement with the Brotherhood of Evil. I asked the warden myself about all the details when I asked for the file."

"I know… I just wanted to take another look. There's no harm in an extra opinion is there?"

Robin continued to stare at her. "No. I guess not."

She took a deep breath and opened the file to Adonis' mug shot staring back at her. She fought down the desire to tear the paper to shreds and looked up at her leader. "Doesn't it seem weird? I mean he was put in prison on kidnapping, assault and battery, destruction of private property, and conspiracy to commit treason against the United States. And then because he drops some information for an organization he was involved in for about a week, and doesn't pick a fight for a few months, he's suddenly free to go? Where is the fairness in that?" She cursed under her breath and stared into her tea, trying to calm down. What was she getting so worked up over? It was _just _Adonis, he was no different than any of the other criminals she dealt with on a daily basis.

"I'm not denying that it's not fair. But I'm also not denying that he was given due process and the law gave him what he deserved." He tapped his fingers on the table for a moment before looking at her, trying to piece everything together. "What _happened_ on the mission last week, Raven? You've been obsessing over what happened to Adonis since then. Normally you don't care."

"I know." Raven sighed and looked up at Robin. There was no other response from her and Robin sighed, rolling his eyes behind his mask.

"Raven…_ seriously_, if something happened, I need to know. That's part of my job to make sure you're safe."

Raven sighed again and opened the file, breaking eye contact with him. It wasn't part of his job to make her safe, he was pestering her because he was a clucking, mother hen. Raven went through the file, trying to see if there were any indicators why Adonis behaved the way he did. His first few months in the penitentiary were as expected, he picked a fight almost every other day. He lost every one. He acted out, hit guards, tried to break out of the prison cell. His fights slowly tapered off, a few less at a time, and then… it just stopped. His last fight was the morning of May 18th two years ago. And from then on he'd shown _exemplary_ behavior, picking up extra duties and breaking up fights started by other inmates. It was so unlike him, so out of character, that it should have raised red flags, but every report was nothing but good.

Raven looked up at Robin, who had returned to his iPad, and stared at him. "Did something important happen on May 18th two years ago?"

Robin looked up and thought for a long time, his mind shifting through two years of data. "Mm… nothing, _important. _I mean… I know that Cinderblock broke out of his titanium enforced cell, and we had to go check it out. Don't you remember?" Raven vaguely remembered getting annoyed with Beast Boy, but other than that it was a relatively boring inspection. Robin shrugged. "I don't know if that has anything to do with Adonis. But he was there when we visited."

"It just doesn't make sense. Why would his attitude change so suddenly?" Raven shifted through a few more reports, looking for any clues. "What could have triggered a response like this? I mean, he just _stopped_ fighting."

Robin watched her for a moment, curious about her interest. "If you're so upset about what happened the other night, why don't you go talk to him? It's not exactly a crime for us to investigate old criminals. And he's been released on good behavior, maybe he's actually been rehabilitated by the system. You never know."

"Even if he was rehabilitated, criminals don't exactly like seeing our faces." Raven paged through a few more reports, looking for any clues or signs as to what was going on. His psychological assessment stated that he suffered from a case of "extreme narcissism". Raven snorted inelegantly. _That _was putting it lightly. "Do you _really _think that's a good idea?"

"Well, I can't tell you what a good idea is if you don't tell me what happened last week." Robin rolled his eyes and stood up, taking his empty mug to the coffee pot. Raven could feel the anger and hurt roiling under his skin. He was getting upset with her, and Raven couldn't blame him. She was supposed to be logical and levelheaded, and yet she completely refused to keep him in the loop, especially about something important.

"_You_ came back with some pretty serious injuries, Beast Boy was in a complete daze as if he was brain dead, and the only thing you told me was that the mission went wrong. I haven't heard details and I haven't seen a report other than that." He sighed and motioned to the file on the table. "Now, you're prattling on about Adonis. What exactly to you expect me to think, Raven? I'm concerned."

"I know." Raven looked into his eyes, her face blank. "I know it's confusing, but… I can't explain what happened."

"Why not?" Robin shook his head.

"Because it's not my place to tell."

There was a long, slow silence as Robin seemed to put the pieces together. Unfortunately, he put them together in the wrong order. "Raven… did Beast Boy… _hurt _you?"

Raven blanched, appalled that Robin could even come to that conclusion. Beast Boy might have been an idiot, but that didn't mean he'd _try _anything. He was smart enough for that. "What? No! Of course not! Annoyed the hell out of me, but when doesn't he do that?"

"Then _what_ happened, Raven?" His agitation spiced the air, setting Raven's hair on end. "Because I'm confused, and as a team member and a friend, I feel as if I have the right to know the truth, and I'm not getting that from you."

"I know."

"You keep saying that, but you're not doing anything to change it."

Raven cringed beneath her blank expression. It always hurt to keep things from her friends, especially Robin. He had always tried to trust and look out for her, so when she kept the truth from him, it hurt even more. "I don't know what to say."

He sighed and ran a hand over his face, staring at the ceiling, frustrated with her. "Then I don't know to tell you."

"The beast broke free the other night."

Raven squeezed her eyes shut, dreading the oncoming wave of shock from her leader. "In both Adonis and Beast Boy. They attacked each other and I got caught in the crossfire, that's how I got the wounds. Beast Boy… doesn't remember anything. That's why he was dazed when we came back, he could feel the actions and emotions of fighting, but he has no recollection of it." Raven could feel the swarm of emotions tangle between her and her leader. He was confused, concerned, worried, angry, frustrated, and a million other things that Raven wasn't even sure she had names for. She took a deep breath and continued

"The beast wasn't like last time… he was intelligent, calculative, possessive… he was different. As if he'd evolved." She opened her eyes and stared at Robin's deceivingly blank face. Under that calm exterior, he was fighting to keep his composure. "He communicated with me… I…" Raven felt guilt rise into her chest and she swallowed it down. She had only been trying to help, there was nothing to be guilty for. "I agitated him. Beast Boy was upset and nervous, and I went into his psyche to calm him down… but the beast didn't want me there, so he protected his territory."

Robin's lips pursed. "I see."

"Look, it wasn't Beast Boy's fault. I know I should have told you what happened, but I didn't want you upset over what happened, and I didn't want to tell you because it's not my place to tattle." Raven looked into his eyes and frowned. "But, most of all, I didn't want you to see Beast Boy as a threat… like you did last time."

Robin frowned and looked away. "That's because he _was _a threat last time. He could have seriously hurt you, Raven… I mean, did you even see what he did to his room? It was torn to shreds, the walls are reinforced with _metal_. That could have been you or Starfire. What if that power wasn't contained in his room? What if he attacked you physically?"

"But he wasn't dangerous last time." Raven stared at her leader feeling anger bubble up in her chest. Exactly what right did he have to determine if something was dangerous or not? "He _saved_ me."

"We got lucky last time when he decided to save you and _not _kill you, but that doesn't mean it will happen again. The beast is a primal side to Beast Boy, and it's something we don't understand. It should be treated with caution. It is dangerous."

"So am I! In case you forgot." Raven growled and let her eyes flash red at him, and Robin took a cautious step back. He knew he crossed the line a little too far. "Don't treat him as if he's some kind of ticking time bomb. He's still our friend and teammate. He's just confused and scared about whatever this thing is inside him, but that doesn't mean you should lock him up like he's a tormented animal or prisoner."

"I never said that was going to happen."

"But you're looking at me like it crossed your mind."

Robin didn't know what to say to that, so he looked away. "I'm not saying that we should do anything hasty. Beast Boy is an adult, and he can be treated like it. He's kept firm control over the beast for four years, and that is amazing. But, his control will break someday." Raven felt the pause fall over them, and she looked at her leader, confused. He returned her stare, face still blank. "And when the beast breaks free and causes damage, then maybe we need to consider other alternatives. I don't want people to get hurt."

Raven glared. "You can't talk about him like that. He's a human being, Robin, with feelings and emotions, and he's one of your best friends. This conversation is so _unlike_ you. You always want to hope for the best and all that save the world bullshit, but now you're willing to talk about doing this to your _friend_?"

Robin didn't even have the decency to look remorseful. "My past experiences have made me a little bit wiser when it comes to dealing with someone's dark side." The dig was meant for her and Raven bit back a curse. Friend or not, he could _really _be an asshole sometimes. "You're a demon, Raven, capable of bringing down dimensions. He is a beast, capable of doing great harm to anyone close to him."

"And you're an emotionally crippled sociopath who can't stop pushing!"

Robin nodded, still fighting to keep himself calm. "I have my own demons to fight with, and yes, I expect the team to enact safety precautions if it gets out of hand. You've been inside my mind, Raven, you know what lives there. I don't expect you to try and save me if I get out of hand, I only hope that you keep me contained."

Raven felt her anger subside for a moment, but it still pressed against her, moving her forward. "If you don't trust us, then why are we even on the team?"

He stared at her, eyes steely behind his mask. "It's _because _I trust you that you're on the team. You both have control… but I've seen you both break too. I don't want any of us, you and Beast Boy included, to get hurt. That's all I'm saying."

"And _this_ is why I didn't want to tell you what happened." Raven stood up, picking up Adonis's file, and started for the door. She paused at the threshold and gave a weak, insulting salute, still glaring at her friend. "That's the end of my report, oh fearless leader." With that she turned and left the kitchen.

Of all the things he could have said to her, considering Beast Boy a danger? It almost hurt to think about.

Raven would admit, whole heartedly, that he was an idiot, that he was annoying, that he was childish, and that he got on her nerves, but at the end of the day, he was still her friend. He might have had evil living inside him, but so did she. He was still Beast Boy, and he still looked out for her, knew how to cheer her up, and occasionally made her laugh. But, considering him a danger? It just didn't feel right.

The walls groaned and shifted around her, reacting to the force of her emotions. She had to calm down or the whole tower was going to fall apart. Although, that wouldn't be the first time that happened. Raven threw open the door to the stairwell and sat on the steps, taking long, slow breaths. She couldn't let Robin's words affect her. She had to be rational. Minutes passed and she heard the walls move back into their proper positions, avoiding catastrophe. Well, she managed to dodge another bullet.

The folder suddenly felt heavy on her lap and she stared down at its tattered edges, splitting open with paper. Raven pulled out a sheet and stared down at the words, trying to see what might not be there. _He's been incredibly helpful in the library this week. He repaired all the bindings of the books. He's really turned around these past few months and is showing great strides in his behavior. I think with a little more time and support he will be ready to reenter society._ Ha. As if. The reports on Adonis's new behavior didn't match what she saw last week. If he had been released for good behavior, the beast had broken through that. And Beast Boy's beast was no different.

She swallowed hard and tried to think about Robin's argument without the push of emotions against her. Maybe his concerns had merit. What she saw between them was so violent and primordial, that she didn't know how to combat it. What if the beast broke free again and she walked away with more than an injured hip? Raven closed her eyes and leaned against the wall, trying to ignore the strange, sinking feeling in her chest. What in the world was going on?

She stood up and climbed the stairs one step at a time, listening through the silence for any noise to prove she wasn't the only one here. The hallways were quiet with still morning air, and at the top floor where the rooms were, she didn't even feel the violent push of Robin's anger. For a moment, it was almost peaceful.

Raven passed Beast Boy's room and stopped, seeing the door nudged open just a bit. Strange, it was still pretty early for him. Was he up? She moved quietly, pushing the door open a few more inches to look inside. He was sitting shirtless on his bed, hair messed from sleeping and a pillow crease on his cheek. He looked up at her with tired eyes and gave a lopsided smile.

"Morning, Raven."

Raven felt something in her chest twist as she remembered her conversation with Robin. How could anyone see Beast Boy as a _threat_? He looked so innocent and naive that there was almost no way he could be the beast she saw. He couldn't have something so evil inside him… could he? "Sorry, I saw the door open and…"

"And you just invited yourself in?" He laughed quietly, running a hand through his tousled hair as if embarrassed. His lean muscles rippled with the subtle hint of the power inside him, and Raven swallowed, looking away. He moved slightly to his left, giving her space to sit down with him. "It's fine. I don't have anything to hide. Besides, you've pretty much seen everything there is to me at this point. Right?"

There was a long, slow silence between them as the weight of his words settled. How could Raven even think of him as _kind of_ dangerous? She met his eyes and tried to look reassuring. "Is everything okay?" Raven cringed under the words and shook her head. That was a stupid thing to say. How could anything be okay after what happened to him? How could he pull himself together after the beast took control of his body and forced him to be more animal than man? She cleared her throat and sat next to him on his bed, pushing his discarded t-shirt out of the way. "What I meant to say was, are you feeling better? After… last week?"

He shrugged and looked down at the floor, avoiding her inquisitive gaze. "As good as I can feel right now…" He gave a humorless laugh. "I don't know what to expect anymore. I just kinda keep waiting for him to show up and take over my body again… maybe he'll do something terrible and I'll be left with his emotions, but no memories, and the consequences of his actions." His eyes closed and he fell onto his back, looking over at Raven. "Sorry, I'm kinda being a downer."

Raven shrugged. "You have the right to be. It's not always easy, fighting what you fight on a daily basis… it can take a toll on your psyche. Sometimes you just need to vent. Of all the things you feel, I think I can understand that the most."

He sighed and nodded, turning to stare at the ceiling. "Yeah, I know." Silence wove between them before he looked at the manila folder in her hands and frowned. "What's that?"

"This?" Color flooded her face and Raven looked away. She didn't want to upset him with the truth, that she had started researching Adonis to understand what happened to both of them. But what else could she possibly say? "I was trying to investigate some things." Well, _that_ was vague and awkward. Raven forced a smile she knew looked uncomfortable and broken. Beast Boy's eyebrows knitted together, but he chose the correct decision in not prying her for answers.

There was another pause between them before he continued. "What are you up to this afternoon?"

Raven was glad for the change in subject. Anything to make her feel like things were back to normal. "Starfire wants me to go out with her… I would normally try to avoid all those hours of watching her attempt to clothe me, but she coerced me with a trip to the new tea shop downtown."

"Oh, yeah. I think I read about that." He thought for a moment. "I don't know a damn thing about tea, but I heard some reviews that it was pretty cool. Maybe we'll go out together for your birthday."

Raven wished he'd forget that date. She glared at him and pressed her lips into a thin line. "Beast Boy, you know I hate celebrating my birthday."

"Yeah, I know." He gave her another lopsided smile. "But I like celebrating your birthday." He stretched his arms above his head and Raven, for the first time in the years of being with the team, noticed how shapely he was. He wasn't big or muscular, but there was an understated strength in him. Long, lean muscles that were more suited to a gymnast than a body builder. Color filled her face again and she pulled away a few inches, hoping he didn't feel the space between them, and hoping even harder that he didn't hear her heart slamming against her ribs.

She desperately searched for something to talk about. "What are you doing today?"

He thought for a moment before shrugging. "Not sure. I might head down to the comic book store. There's a new Batman comic I wanted to read."

"I don't even know why you bother reading that crap." Raven rolled her eyes and stared down at him. "You've met the real one. Several times. And his annoying pixie-booted protégé. The real superhero life isn't all glamour and fantasy and big breasted lady thieves with hearts of gold."

He laughed and propped himself up on his forearms. "Yeah, I know. Still I like the fantasy behind our lives. It's kinda nice to see what normal people see." The humor left his face and he let his body fall back on his bed. "It's nice to get caught up in a story and not remember the actual terror behind it. Normal people never get to see the beast and what it does. They only see Beast Boy."

Raven closed her eyes against the push of his emotions. He was always a bit torrential with his feelings, but lately they'd gotten fiercer. His highs and lows could be so violent it threatened to destroy her control over her own powers. It was as if the beast was always trying to break free, always trying to make Beast Boy remember what he had hidden inside him. Raven's sympathy welled up as she looked at him. This was so unlike him. If only she had some way to reassure him that everything was going to be all right.

"I always only see Beast Boy… much to my chagrin." Raven's attempts at humor fell flat and Beast Boy rolled his eyes. Still, there was the smallest of smiles tugging at his lips. That was enough.

"Your jokes are terrible, Raven."

"Not as bad as yours."

He finally laughed and sat up, the heaviness dissipating between them. "Holy crap! A talking muffin!"

Raven rolled her eyes again. "It's only funny if you set up the joke."

He laughed again and nudged her shoulder. "You find me hilarious, admit it."

"I find you tolerable." Raven stood up, suddenly desperate to put space between them. The contact made heat flow through her body and she had no idea where it was coming from or how to control it. Too late. There was a strange crack from across the room. The glass in one of his picture frames took the full brunt of her power and shattered. She cringed and looked down at her feet, avoiding Beast Boy's shocked stare. "Sorry. I'm… a little out of sorts. Weird dreams."

"Tell me about it." He shook his head and Raven wanted to ask _exactly _what that meant, but she knew better that no pry in Beast Boy's dreams. That was his personal space, and she had to give him that privacy at least. Beast Boy looked at the picture and shrugged, offering her a genuine smile. "It's just glass. I'm kinda used to you destroying half my stuff anyway. I guess that's part of being friends with you. There'll always be collateral damage."

"Well, thanks for your support." Raven tried to keep her face blank, hiding her confusion. She inched towards the door, still fighting for space in the suddenly small room. What was this feeling? It felt like it was choking her and twisting her heart. It just wouldn't go away, not even with space, and now it was starting to hurt.

He smiled at her and pulled the picture from the frame, tossing the broken glass in the trash. "That's what friends are for, right?"

"Something like that I guess." She opened the door, and breathed a sigh of relief as the cool air hit her face. Just a few more inches and she would be safe. Maybe this burning would stop and she could think logically for a moment. It was a hope at least. Her fingers touched the door frame and she started to leave, her toes crossing the threshold. "I'll see you later."

"Hey…"

His voice was inquisitive and Raven turned around to find him standing a few inches from her. She nearly jumped out of her skin at his proximity. How in the _world_ had he managed to sneak up on her? He smiled and leaned a little closer, filling her senses with the scent of fresh pine and warm earth. Wilderness. Her heart picked up speed and she tried to put more space between them, but he filled it as quickly as she made it.

"Thanks, Raven… for everything. I know I'm not always appreciative but…" He sighed and ran his hand through his hair again, avoiding her eyes. "I'm grateful for everything you do. I don't know what would happen if you weren't here to help me through this."

"You'd survive." Raven had no idea where those words came from, but they sounded too harsh to be hers. She bit back her guilt and kept her face blank. "You're strong, Beast Boy. I know you'd be able to handle this all on your own. I'm just here because you're my friend and I care about you, not because I'm vital to your survival."

Without any kind of warning he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Shock ran through her system, freezing her in place. Was he _hugging _her? Who in the _world _had the _gall _to hug Raven? And why wasn't she sending him to another dimension to fend for himself? No one _ever _touched her. _Ever._

He pulled her even tighter against him, and her cheek pressed against the bare skin of his shoulder. The touch of his warmth to her own reminded her how tall he'd gotten in their years together. He was no longer the scrawny boy fighting to get through puberty to be an adult, he was a man. His pulse thudded in her ears and his lips pressed against her hair in some mockery of a kiss. "_That's_ why we're friends, because you make me feel stronger than I am."

Why did this feel almost... familiar?

Raven managed to gain a moment of lucidity and she pulled away from him. What in the world were they doing? This was ridiculous! Her face stayed stoic and she stared up at him, raising an eyebrow. "Beast Boy, we're friends and all… but can we _please _stop all this touchy-feely crap? I am seriously going to be sick."

"Aw." His arms dropped from around her and he laughed. "You're no fun."

"Uh-huh… whatever." Raven finally stopped into the hallway, putting more space between them. But, her heart wouldn't stop pounding against her chest. It felt like her ribs were going to break under the pressure and her stomach was going to fall out any moment. Why wouldn't this feeling just _go away_? It hurt so bad and now her knees felt weak. Would they even hold her weight? She had to at least try. Raven took a few cautious steps away from him, feeling stronger with each foot of distance. This was okay. She could handle this, she just needed more space.

"Thanks again."

Raven heard his voice echo down the empty hallway and waved him off. She refused to turn back around and look at him, that would only make this feeling worse. "We're friends, remember?"

"I remember."

"Good."

)O(

_Okay… so I lied a little. I know I was supposed to work on_ Primeval_ but this just grabbed my attention a little tighter.__ I'm sorry. Don't hate me.  
Anyway... let me know what you think, and _Primeval_ should be updated soon. Promise! Thanks again. _


	3. Chapter Two

**To Claim and Possess  
**Chapter Two

)O(

"Raven, this color is most agreeable with your skin tone."

Raven glared at her friend. It didn't matter how good of friends they were, or how long they had been friends, Raven would have just cause to kill her if she tried to put that _thing_ on her. "Star, it's a dress and it's _pink_." She picked it up and shuddered. "And it has jewels and crinoline."

"But it is the most becoming shade of pink. And I believe the ruffles will add shape to your small hips." Starfire held the dress up to Raven's cheek, who just glared at her. Small hips? Raven knew she didn't mean it as an insult, but did she really have to point out to the entire store that she was shaped like a twelve-year-old just entering puberty?

"Starfire, I love you like a sister…" Raven pushed the dress away from her and shook her head, biting back any sour comments. "But if you don't stop trying to make me dress up in clothes I will never wear, further more clothes that are _pink_,I may actually hurt you."

Starfire gave a dramatic sigh and stared at her friend. "Raven, what is wrong?"

Raven _really_ hated it when people asked her that question. There were a million things wrong in her life, how could she choose just one thing to explain? There was the beast, there was Robin, there was that _awkward_, emotional exchange between her and Beast Boy that she didn't fully understand, and there was life in general. It all pretty much sucked at this point. She turned away and started shuffling through racks of clothing, pretending to look for something. "Nothing is wrong. I just don't like that shade of pink. Couldn't you have found something in blue or black? And something I might actually wear?"

"That is not what I am asking, and you know it." Starfire put her hands on her hips and stared at her friend, her eyes glowing slightly brighter with her irritation. Not good.

"Nothing is wrong. I promise." Raven held up her hands, trying to put space between the two of them. If she wasn't careful she would end up pissing off Starfire, and the boutique would bear the brunt of her outburst. Furthermore, it would take Raven a whole week to apologize, and that week would be filled with shopping and ice cream and visits to the pet store. Things Raven wasn't really apt on doing ever.

"Raven, the whole point of coming out to this new store was to become better friends. We are here to bond and grow, but you do nothing but push me away. While I know you are not adept at the 'girl talk' you are usually more receptive to these moments of friendship." Starfire's face fell and Raven felt her heart twist painfully. It wasn't her fault that Raven was in a bad mood. The truth was that her conversation with Robin this morning had sat inside her and festered like an open wound, and even Raven would admit that she was distant. But she just couldn't accept what Robin had told her. It seemed too cruel, even for him.

"I just…" She tried to avoid the topic, but Starfire's large, bright eyes seemed to bore into her soul and Raven sighed. How did she always manage to get Raven to talk? She should be a torture expert. Raven moved deeper into the store, away from the group of girls at the front. "I got into a fight with Robin this morning."

Starfire blinked and put the dress back on the rack. "That has happened before, has it not?"

"Yes." Raven shrugged and wandered the racks of colorful clothing, watching the shop keep out of the corner of her eye. He looked bored, and was probably roped into watching the register while his coworker went on lunch. Luckily, he didn't seem aware enough to realize two of his patrons were Titans. That was at least something, and they wouldn't have worry about prying ears.

Raven looked back at Starfire and sighed. "I mean, you're right, we've gotten into fights before, but it was different this time." She hoped Starfire would drop the subject, but Starfire continued to stare at her, urging her on. "We got into an argument over… _precautionary measures_."

"Precautionary measures?" Starfire followed Raven further into the back and more out of earshot. "Towards you?"

Raven nodded. "And Beast Boy…"

"Oh." Starfire's face fell and she looked away, suddenly guilty. "I am sorry for not telling you earlier, but did not feel as though it was my place. Robin did relay me what transpired between you and Beast Boy last week on your mission. I too was concerned over your injury and Beast Boy's behavior… but I understand the fear Robin has."

Raven tried not to feel betrayed. Did everyone on the team think that Beast Boy was a ticking time-bomb? Did they all forget that he was their friend? Raven turned away from Starfire, hiding the anger she knew was apparent on her face. "So, you agree with him then? That we should be ready to just cage him up like an animal if he breaks free?"

"No. That I do not agree with. Robin always plans for the worst and sometimes he forgets that these 'worse case scenarios' include our _friends._ But, Raven, we cannot ignore the power he has hidden inside him. Beast Boy is sweet and fun-loving and kind, but underneath that exterior lies a beast. We have to accept that there is something inside him we should fear."

"Why do we have to fear him?" Raven moved even further away from the front, Starfire in tow. "Does everyone forget that he _saved_ me last time? Adonis kidnapped me and Beast Boy was the only one strong enough to bring him down. Beast Boy can control it, he just needs some guidance and practice."

Starfire reached out and touched her friend's arm, and Raven could feel her reservation and concern pour into her life ice water. Even Starfire was worried about the outcome of the beast. "Raven, although the last time we encountered the beast things were moved in our favor, it does not mean that every time will end up so well. It is foolish for us to assume that the beast will stay dormant forever, and it is foolish for us to forget the beast is dangerous. I do not believe that the beast will want to be controlled by Beast Boy."

"I know…" Raven leaned against a wall and stared at a giant mural of the cityscape of Jump, with Titan Tower proudly displayed against the blue waters of the bay. Starfire was, unfortunately, right. The beast was dangerous, he had nearly attacked Raven when she forcefully stopped his fight last week. He had approached her, ready to strike without hesitation. But what made him stop? Was it Beast Boy, or was it something else? Raven wanted to believe that Beast Boy had taken control, but something in the pit of her stomach told her that wasn't the case. She sighed and looked back at Starfire. "I don't know what to do."

Starfire seemed confused for a moment. "Raven, you seem to have taken this burden on by yourself. Beast Boy is all of our friends, we all care greatly for him, and you should not have to be the only one who helps him through these troubling times. We are all here to help him."

"I…" Raven glanced around before looking back at Starfire. "Can I tell you something without it getting back to anyone else?"

"You wish to tell me a secret?" Starfire seemed honestly shocked. "I do not believe you have ever wanted to confide in me, Raven. I am not sure if I should be frightened or concerned."

Raven rolled her eyes. Everyone was a critic. Even Starfire. "I need to tell someone. I need a second opinion, and I don't trust Robin to be so levelheaded and understanding."

Starfire gave a sad, understanding smile. Even she knew her boyfriend could be impulsive and uncontrollable. "I am most honored by your decision to confide in me, and I promise that I will not tell a soul. Not even Silkie."

"Thank you. I appreciate that." Raven took a deep, calming breath before looking back at Starfire. "When I was out with Beast Boy, I wanted to calm him down. He was upset and anxious, and I didn't want to see him like that anymore. He wouldn't be any use to me in a fight anyway. So, I went into his psyche, but the beast was there." Raven shivered as she remembered the beast's perverted exploration of her mind. "He's always been there, lurking in the shadows, but this time it was different. This time, he attacked me. He ripped me apart piece by piece, invaded my memories and took one for his own keeping."

"Raven…"

Raven looked away, wrapping her arms around herself, suddenly feeling cold. "I felt _violated_, Star. I can't remember what he took, but I know it was something important, and every time I get next to Beast Boy, there's a memory I know I should have but I can't find it. Only tattered threads of where the memory used to be. I didn't want to tell Robin because I knew he would see Beast Boy as an even greater threat, and that scares me more than losing the memory."

"Raven… I do not know what to say." Starfire reached out her hand, as if she were going to touch Raven, but pulled it away quickly. She knew better than to force physical contact on her friend. "This is something I cannot comprehend… how could he steal a memory from you, and why did he choose that particular memory?"

"That's what I keep asking myself." Raven sighed and shuffled her feet a little, feeling a bit like she had bared too much of her soul. Starfire could be considered her best friend, if Raven cared to title things like that, but it still felt strange sharing such a personal secret with her. "Why _that _memory?"

"Perhaps…" Starfire chewed on her lower lip as she thought. "You mentioned to Robin that the beast seemed more possessive and calculative, did you not?" Raven nodded, trying to follow Starfire's train of thought. "Perhaps the memory that you held so dear was some that the beast held dear too. He could not attain the memory by any other means than stealing it from you." She shook her head and gave Raven a sheepish look. "It is only a thought."

"But what memory would be _that_ precious to someone other than me?"

"I do not know." Starfire shook her head. "Unfortunately, that is something only you would."

Raven sighed and leaned back against the wall behind her, grumbling under her breath. Of all the things that could have happened to her, this was not something she ever expected.

"Raven?" Starfire's voice jolted her out of her reverie.

"Yeah?"

"Your stomach?" Raven's shirt had ridden up just enough to show the scarring on her hip. Starfire leaned down to examine it, as if fascinated. "I do not wish to be rude, but I do not believe I have ever known you to scar. Is this the injury the beast caused you?"

"Oh. Yeah." Raven yanked the hem of her shirt down over her jeans and shrugged, feigning indifference. She didn't want Starfire to know that there was another serious injury she couldn't figure out. It would only worry her more. "I haven't figured out exactly why they haven't healed completely. I'm going to guess that he had poison or something in his claws." Raven shrugged and turned away to rifle through a clothes rack, anything to break eye-contact. "I'm fine though, I'm sure I'll heal in a few more days."

Behind her, Raven could feel the concern and fear push against her like wind. It spread over her skin and wrapped around her fingers until Raven started to tremble. She didn't need fear right now, she needed confidence. She turned around and gave a small, half-smile to Starfire. "I'm _fine_, Star. I promise."

"Raven…"

Her face fell and Raven was forced to take drastic measures to change the subject. She reached into the clothes rack and pulled out a modest, black dress, holding it up to her shoulders. "I think I might like this one, what about you?"

Starfire seemed to instantly forget their weighty conversation and brightened. "It is lovely! I think you should try it on and…" she rifled through the rack to pull out a navy blue dress. "This one! The color is much more suited to your fair complexion than the bright pink one. Perhaps you were right about pink not being an appropriate color for you."

That wasn't _exactly_ what Raven had said, but she would take it. Two hours later Raven was coerced into buying the black dress and a few other pieces of clothing that she never thought she would wear. Ever. But, whatever made Starfire happy, and whatever kept her mind off of the heavy things Raven told her. She chattered alongside Raven as they made their way down the sidewalk. The tea shop was one more block over, and Raven could certainly use some after all the energy she'd exerted with Starfire this afternoon.

"Oh, look! It is Beast Boy!" Starfire waved down the street and ran to meet him, nearly bowling over innocent pedestrians in the process. Raven stood back and watched as she wasted no time in opening her bag and showing Beast Boy all her purchases. She even pulled out something that was meant specifically for Robin's eyes only. Beast Boy blushed, but offered a polite chuckle and let her continue to show everything to him. His eyes drifted upward and met with Raven's.

"Hey."

Raven tried to respond, but that sick, heavy feeling from this morning entered her chest and choked her lungs. She shuddered and took an unconscious step back, trying to keep some iota of sanity. Her mind became hazy as she remembered their conversation this morning, and then the hug. The way his skin felt against her cheek, the smell of his hair, and the thump of his pulse under her ear. Raven felt color flood her face and she unconsciously pulled the hood on her sweatshirt tighter around her face.

Starfire blinked and looked back at her. "Raven, are you not going to say hello to Beast Boy?"

She bit back the feeling and approached them both, still keeping distance between her and Beast Boy. "Hey." She shuffled a little and readjusted the bag on her arm. "How was the comic book shop?"

"Good." He shrugged. "The new Batman comic was so-so. A little too violent for me, but whatever, I'm not the one writing it." He smiled down at her. "I see you have a bag. I'm surprised you bought anything at all, considering how much you hate shopping." He turned to Starfire and patted her on the shoulder. "That's a great accomplishment, Star. Good job."

"She bought a dress."

Raven shrugged at Beast Boy's shocked expression. "I was _coerced_ into buying a dress."

"Holy hell… Starfire, I'm pretty sure you've done the impossible." Without asking for permission, he reached into Raven's bag and pulled it out, giving a low whistle. A few passersby had stopped to watch the interaction and giggled at the impossible idea that _Raven _would wear a dress. He held it up to her shoulders and smiled. "Cute."

"Stop it!" Raven grabbed the dress back from him and shoved it in her bag, feeling strangely like he just aired her dirty laundry all over the busy street. "What are you, a child?" She pushed past him making her way towards the tea shop. "And stop calling me cute."

"Awe, you're no fun." He chased after her with Starfire in tow.

"Beast Boy, since you are done with your own adventures today, would you like to come to the tea shop with us? It will be most enjoyable to have some more company." Starfire flashed him a winning smile and Raven knew he wouldn't be able to resist. She had learned a few years ago that Beast Boy had a thing for Starfire's peppy attitude and shapely body. She was, according to him, "the perfect package" of beauty, brains, and brawn. Raven let a breathy curse fall from her lips. Of all the things to remember…

Raven stared at Starfire, frowning. "Are you serious?"

Starfire blinked at her, confused. "Well, he is our friend."

Beast Boy laughed. "Yeah. I'm your friend." He stuck his tongue out at her and followed the two girls down the street. "So, yes, Star. I'd love to tag along. I've never been to a tea shop, so I think this will be an interesting and enlightening experience."

"Whatever. Just don't annoy me. I've been looking forward to this all week." Raven rolled her eyes and pulled open the door to the tea shop, stepping inside. She was immediately assaulted by the fragrant smell of dried flowers and tea. The walls were painted sage green and well over a hundred glass containers lined the walls, casting lights and shadows over the walls like a million crystals.

"Good afternoon! Thank you for dropping in today!" A bright-faced, cheery older woman waved at them from behind the counter. "We have some lovely purple oolong that just came in this morning. Or, if you're more inclined, we have some green tea with rose. It's quite lovely."

Beast Boy laughed and leaned over Raven to whisper in her ear. "Hear that? It's quite lovely."

"Stop being such an ass." She turned back to the shop keep. "We'll take a pot of that. Thank you." Raven moved to say something to Starfire, but she had already taken a seat and struck up conversation with the table next to her. Some poor, helpless soul who was just trying to read a magazine. Although, he did seem taken aback by her beauty and managed a few, awkward responses.

Raven just shook her head and started wandering the rows of glass jars looking at the ingredients of each. She felt Beast Boy behind her, reading the names of the tea from over her shoulder. Raven reached back and elbowed him in the side. He winced and took a step back, giving her enough room to turn around and glare at him. "Is it necessary for you to invade my personal space?"

He laughed, as if amused. "Yeah. Always. I'm here simply to annoy you at all times. I thought you figured that out by now." He smiled down at her and Raven rolled her eyes, trying to move away from him. His scent of fresh earth and pine was starting to overpower the delicate fragrance of the tea. He really _was_ going to drive her insane if he didn't give her at least a little space. There was a long pause as he moved to stand next to her, opening the jars and looking inside. "Weird. So what is all of this?"

"Tea." Raven kept her face blank and stared at him. "You know, you put it in hot water and brew it. And then you drink it. I can see how this might be a complicated process to you."

"Thanks, Captain Obvious." Beast Boy rolled his eyes and wandered alongside Raven, occasionally leaning over her to look at the teas. "I mean… I thought tea had two kinds, black and green. So, what's all of this?"

"Tea isn't just black and green, there are varieties of the plant, and you can mix it with whatever you want. Herbs. Flowers. Spices. You can create a million different flavors with just a little bit of thought." She pulled down a jar of chai tea and raised it to his nose. Beast Boy regarded her carefully before leaning down and taking a deep breath.

"That's really nice… what is that?"

"Ginger and Anise. A touch of cinnamon, depending on where the chai is from."

"It smells like you." He gave her a small smile and leaned closer. "A little spicy and exotic."

Raven had no idea how to respond to that and she took a step back, color flooding her face. Behind the counter she could hear a stack of coupons explode onto the floor, but Beast Boy just looked amused, as if this was all a very funny joke. Raven glared at him. "Exactly what do you mean by that?"

Beast Boy smiled and walked away, perusing the jars. "So, what are you looking for? Anything in particular?"

"No…" Raven swallowed the lump in her throat and moved in the opposite direction. "Just looking for a new tea to try."

He looked back at Starfire, who was still talking to the young man, and then nudged Raven's shoulder. She felt his guilt move through her slowly and turned to look at him. "I didn't really mean to tease about the whole dress thing. That was rude, and I'm sorry."

Raven raised an eyebrow, trying not to think about his comment on her "scent". She had to stay how she always was, stoic and pragmatic. "Well, you thoroughly embarrassed me on a crowded street, but apology accepted."

He laughed and leaned back on his heels, watching her. "It is actually a pretty cute dress, and I think it will look great on you."

"Stop trying to be nice." She gave him a sullen look and moved down the row of jars. "You just like teasing me."

"Well… yeah. But that's because you're so easy to tease." He smiled and reached out to touch her, but Raven stopped his hand. He looked a little sheepish and took a half-step back, giving her some room. "I _am_ sorry. I didn't mean to push, I know you don't like that."

Raven rolled her eyes and looked away, running her hands down the jars. "I already told you that I accepted you apology, do you want it in writing?"

He laughed. "Sometimes." His hand reached to the top shelf and pulled down a jar. "Earl gray and lavender?" He raised his eyes to meet hers and smiled, brining the jar down to her nose. "That sounds like something you might like. Dark, heavy, and a little bit of floral?"

Raven felt her cheeks color at what she _hoped_ was an unintentional innuendo. "It's beautiful."

Beast Boy caught her eyes and smiled. "I'll get you some and we can drink it together?"

"I…" Her words drifted off as the door to the shop opened, and the air turned cold and sharp, as if it were electrified. The world continued to move around her, the shop keep brewed tea, and Starfire still chatted with the table next to her, but Raven felt as though she was frozen in one spot. She looked up at Beast Boy, whose body had tensed and eyes had glazed over. Closing her eyes, she sent up a silent prayer to whatever god was listening that Beast Boy would find his control. Because, Raven knew without looking, who was standing at the entrance. She reached out with her powers, desperately searching for Beast Boy in his body. But he was gone. His psyche was overthrown by the dominate push of the beast.

This would not end well.

Raven turned and faced the thin, lanky form of Adonis. He didn't seem to notice them until he paused, taking a deep breath of the air in the shop. His mouth moved, as if he were tasting the air for a familiar scent, and he stopped. There was a long, slow moment as he stared at the two of them, his eyes darting from Raven to Beast Boy and back again.

Beast Boy growled and his fingers clenched.

"Not here." Raven's fingers found his arm and she felt another painful push from the beast against her psyche. Something inside her broke and she gave him a shove back with her own fierce determination. She _would not_ be pushed around by him. "Beast Boy, remember what you told me this morning. You said you liked the fantasy because no one saw the beast. Don't let these people see the beast. Let them live in fantasy. You can control this."

"Live in fantasy, demon? This is no fantasy, this is the truth. This is my territory, and everyone here should know that I am alpha male." Eyes looked down at her, but they weren't filled with the emotional torment of Beast Boy, they were filled with anger and possession. They were cold and lifeless, like emeralds lying in the ground. Her heart stopped beating in her chest, and Raven couldn't find the appropriate swearwords fast enough.

"What? Are you going to start marking your territory?"

"I already have. As I said, I am alpha male." His eyes drifted over her petite frame before settling on her hip. "And you are my alpha female, and I will not lose you to a lesser male."

"Wait… what?" Raven felt blood rush to her face and she thought she had misheard him over the pounding of her pulse in her own ears. "I'm sorry… am I… your _territory_?" The beast flashed her something that sat between a predatory grin and snarl, and Raven had to fight to keep the curse from exploding from her lips. Exactly _what _was going on? Anger rushed through her body and she heard the crack of a few jars above her head. _Not good. _

Adonis approached them slowly, as if tracking a wild, feral animal. He looked strange, almost out of place surrounded by the delicate glass jars and soothing green paint. He moved closer to Raven, his thin, lean muscles coiling and uncoiling with each step. Finally, he gave her a small, polite smile. "Afternoon, Raven."

"Um… hello?" Raven wasn't quite sure what to say to him. Beast Boy bristled next to her, his growl getting louder. Raven tugged at his arm. Not here. They couldn't fight here. It didn't matter what was happening between them, there were innocent people around and they couldn't risk the chance of someone getting hurt.

"Lavender and earl gray?" He looked down at the jar in her hands and smiled. "That's a good choice of tea, Raven. You will probably enjoy it. It's very… _you._"

"Thank you?" Raven felt like an idiot. Couldn't she say anything that didn't sound like a question? She cleared her throat and gathered some small amount of courage, closing the space between them. "What are you doing here?"

"I was unaware that I wasn't allowed into polite society. I am not a criminal anymore. I can shop wherever I want." He gave a strange, scathing smile. "And I wanted to purchase tea. There is nothing wrong in that, is there?"

Raven's eyes narrowed. His cadence was off. It might have been four years since they battled together, but Raven remembered how he spoke. All contractions and boastfulness, dripping with egotism. This wasn't Adonis, this was his own beast. Bad. Bad. Bad. What in the nine levels of _hell _had she gotten herself into? She placed the jar back on the shelf and steeled herself. "I don't mean to be a bitch, but you _do_ realize we're the reason you were put in jail. Remember?"

His eyebrow picked up, amused by a memory she didn't have. "I remember that stealing you away from that wretched tower and nearly claiming you as my alpha female was worth the four years of torture my host endured."

"What? I don't remember that." Raven felt bile rise into her throat and she took a step back.

Adonis laughed. "I'm going to guess that there are a few other memories you're missing too."

Beast Boy snarled, baring his teeth. "This conversation is pointless. Back down now."

Starfire came to stand next to them, smiling brightly as if nothing was wrong. She moved her body in just the right way to shield the other patrons from the show of dominance. "Oh! Look, Raven! It is most enjoyable outside! Perhaps we should take our tea to go?"

Adonis smiled slowly, but ignored Starfire's attempts to shelter the rest of the shop. "Don't believe for a moment that I will hurt you, Raven. I'm not upset about what you did. It gave me time to think, to develop in my host's body. And I have learned a few things about what I want."

"You do not get to have what you want." Beast Boy snarled and Raven could feel the hair start to emerge on his arm, the beast was reaching for full control, trying to break whatever chains Beast Boy kept him locked in. "This is my territory."

"The tea is done!" Starfire piped a bit louder and went scurrying to the counter to pay the shop keep, who was staring at them as if they all had two heads. She gave her a generous tip to keep her mouth shut, the last thing any of them needed was bad press. "Perhaps our tea will be enjoyed more thoroughly outside? Ah, and there is a park across the street!" Starfire threaded her hand through Raven's arm and tugged her along. She dropped her voice to a low whisper. "It is in our best interest to move both Beast Boy and Adonis as far away from people as possible."

Both Adonis and Beast Boy's ears pricked with the sound of her comment and they stared at her, frowning. Starfire stood strait up, meeting their gaze with her own. "I mean no disrespect. I am only concerned for the safety of others, and I know that either of you will not hesitate to destroy what is in your path. Please, I am begging you to be mindful of your surroundings."

"Alien." Beast Boy's voice sounded harsh and unforgiving to even Raven's ears, and Starfire seemed taken aback at the rude calling of her race. "I understand what you are attempting to do, but it will not matter if we fight here or if we fight outside. The outcome will be the same."

Adonis raised an eyebrow again and stared at him, bristling with power. "You only think you won last time, I will not lose again."

"Is that so?"

Neither one of them was going to back down from a fight. So, Raven did the only thing that made sense. She removed her hand from Beast Boy's arm and pushed through the door to the shop, racing across the street and dodging cars as they sped past her. Curses erupted around her, and she could feel the surge of their energies as they chased her, suddenly interested in the hunt. They snarled and howled, following her out of the shop and onto the pavement.

Starfire called out her name and flew next to her. "Raven, I am very confused, I have no idea what is transpiring here, but I have an idea that it is most terrible."

"I have no idea either… but I know for sure that is not Beast Boy."

"He is the beast?" Starfire put the pieces together and she breathed a sigh of relief. "That would explain his rude behavior to me."

"That would explain a lot of things that just happened." Raven took a sharp turn into the park and raced down a path, hearing the sound of them behind her. She whipped around to face them, only to find they had both transformed into their beasts. Adonis was keeping the lead, following her step-for-step through one of the gardens. Shit. Not good. There was going to be collateral damage if she didn't get this under control. Raven gave Starfire a push and threw her to the side of the path, just in time to keep her from behind hit by Adonis. He snarled and spat and clawed his way on top of Raven, releasing his beastly form for the human body.

"I smell him. I smell him! You let him touch you." Adonis howled and yanked the hem of Raven's shirt up over her breasts, staring down at her hip. His hands reached down and pressed against her wind pipe. Pain erupted from her body and Raven felt her powers lash out at anything to break free. Trees snapped like twigs, the cement beneath her cracked and split, and she felt more than one lightning bolt split the earth next to them. Her mind and body were trying to fight the attacker, but were failing. What was happening to her? Was she going to die?

"He's marked you! You whorish bitch! You rutting sow. You let him touch you. I will rip the memory from your body if I have to!" One hand reached back and yanked at her hair, nearly ripping it from her scalp. He buried his nose into the plum strands breathing in the scent. "No… no, he's marked you, but you are unclaimed. He hasn't put his filthy cock inside you." His hands tightened on her slender neck, thumbs tipping her chin up to look into his eyes.

She choked and begged for breath, her grip weak on his arms. Another bolt of black lightning struck next to her face, but it didn't seem to faze him.

"Fight all you want, it will not change your fate. I do not mind having an alpha with another male's mark. It will not stay there for long, I will claw it from your body only to prove that you are mine. I will be the one to claim your body. I will rut with you like the demon you are."

"Raven is _mine!_" Beast Boy flung himself into Adonis, throwing his thin frame from Raven's. His hands tightened around Adonis' wrists, pulling and yanking as if he were trying to dismember him. Adonis howled in pain, fighting his strength with his own. "You will not attack my female!"

"She is not yours yet! You haven't claimed her. She is only marked. I will claim her body and you will have nothing." Adonis swung his leg into Beast Boy's side, knocking the wind from him. He snarled and released the beast, contorting his form into thick, heavy muscles. Adonis followed suit, and charged his opposition with such force, that it knocked Beast Boy back fifteen feet. He pushed himself forward, claws digging into Adonis's shoulder blades, and ripped at the flesh there. His howl was loud enough to shake the windows of close buildings.

Raven tried to sit up, tried to call out to someone, but her body was broken and her spirit was in shambles. There was nothing left inside her but emptiness and fear. She couldn't even fly in she wanted to. She lay on the ground and gasped for breath, trying to find something to cling to.

"Raven!" Starfire flew to her side, gathering her small form in her arms. "Raven… you are all right." She breathed a sigh of relief and pulled her into the shelter of her body. Starfire's touch felt warm and comforting, filled with love and concern and friendship. Her emotions poured into Raven, bringing into light the dangerous situation she had just escaped. Without any warning, Raven's fingers tightened on Starfire's shirt, and she buried her face in her neck, feeling tears run down her face. She was crying? Raven didn't cry. She was strong, she was stoic, she was pragmatic, she was _never_ emotional. What in the world was going on?

Beast Boy stilled at the sound of her tears, looking over at Starfire with fear and concern. It was a moment's hesitation, but it was enough. Adonis took the opening and slammed into Beast Boy's body, throwing him into a cement fountain, cracking heads off the fat, happy cherubs. Water erupted around them like a geyser, showering the two beasts. Adonis poised himself for a killing blow and Beast Boy raised his claws to protect himself, rolling to the side in just enough time to avoid serious injury.

"ENOUGH!" Starfire stepped in, eyes glowing a dangerous shade of green. She held Raven on her hip, the same way a mother would hold a toddler, and raised a glowing green hand. "I do not know what you are or what your plans are with Raven, but it would be most advisable to _back off_."

"She is my mate."

Beast Boy snarled. "She is not."

Starfire launched another bolt at Adonis. "You may leave at any point in this conversation."

Adonis stood there, sizing up the girl before turning and running in another direction. Starfire threw another bolt toward him, but it missed, and she did not have the desire to chase him. Not while her friend was broken like she was. Beast Boy stood up, returning to his human form and approached Starfire carefully, his eyes trying to decide if she was a friend or a foe.

"You are the beast."

"Yes." He took a step forward, his arms outstretched as if he were going to take Raven from her.

Starfire jumped back, putting more space between them. "I do not trust you. Not near my friends and certainly not with Raven. If you are the same as Adonis, you may choose to kill her."

"I will not." He moved again, still trying to get to Raven. Starfire could see something akin to fear and possession in his eyes. He did not want anyone else to comfort Raven in her time of need. He was her alpha male, and it was his duty to care for her. Beast Boy tilted his chin up, looking down at Starfire. "She is my alpha. My mate. I will protect her above all else."

Starfire regarded him with the utmost caution, but kept Raven close to her. She had gone limp with exhaustion, her powers had escaped, draining her of anything she had left. In that void, she had succumbed to the darkness. Starfire frowned as she watched him move closer. His eyes might be honest, but his violence exposed something far darker. "He said you marked her… is that what this is? This scar you gave her?"

"Yes. She is mine, and I will not let another claim her." He managed to gain a few more feet of space. "I am only just barely a match for you, alien. But if you do not give me Raven, I will not hesitate to fight you."

"What will you do if I give her to you?"

"What would you like me to do?"

"Return Beast Boy to us. In return, I will let you comfort your alpha female."  
It was more than just a momentary truce, it was an indication of what she expected from both Beast Boy and the beast. He stared at her with dark eyes and nodded. "I accept your terms. For now."

Starfire bristled and held Raven close to her. "Forever."

He stared at her, eyes steely. "For now."

)O(

_So… about that final chapter of _Primeval_… it's coming. I promise! Anyway, please let me know what you thought. Thanks again for reading!_


	4. Chapter Three

**To Claim and Possess  
**Chapter Three

Raven's mind felt thick and hazy when she woke up, but she had the distinct sensation of being carried. Slow and steady. Step. Step. Step. Under her right cheek she felt a familiar heartbeat thump in her ear, and around her were the pungent smells of city in the summer. Gasoline, hot pavement, charcoal, and food carts, each intertwined with the sweet, comforting smells of pine and earth and freesia. Beast Boy and Starfire. Her ears strained to grasp at threads of noises around her before focusing on the two familiar cadences.

"Stop looking at me like that… I didn't have a choice."

"Choice or no, she will be most displeased to learn that you have carried her through the city."

"Do you have a better plan, Star? I can't give her to you, and it's not like I can just turn into a pterodactyl and hold her in my talons. What if I hurt her? Or worse, what if I drop her and she falls a million feet into the bay?"

"I believe that Raven would say that you are hurting her pride more." Starfire sighed and Raven felt the unfamiliar brush of irritation. That was completely uncharacteristic for her. Starfire could usually stay upbeat and levelheaded in almost every situation, so something must have happened to _seriously_ upset her. "And why are you incapable of giving her to me? I wish no harm on her, and she is my friend as well. I am just as capable of taking care of her as you are."

"I know that… but I _can't _give her to you because… _he_ won't like it. Let's leave it at that." The arms around Raven shifted and she was pulled closer to the warm body holding her. Concern washed over her at the touch and she fought to open her eyes, but nothing happened. It was as if her body was trying to keep her from being awake, to protect her from something. Beast Boy shifted his arms again, still looking for a comfortable way to hold her. "Just let me take her back to the tower and then we can pretend this whole thing never happened."

"You promised you would discuss this incident with Robin. Do not break such an important promise."

"Yeah, I know. Besides, it's not like I have much of a choice, now do I?" There was a long pause and he groaned, the noise echoing through his chest and into Raven's ears. "Man, he's gonna kick me off the team."

"Beast Boy, Robin would never do such a thing, you are our friend and a very dedicated warrior, and we all care for you very much… however, it is most advisable that you discuss this incident with him. If not for your own sake, then for Raven's." There was a pause and Raven heard the heartbeat under her ear skip a few beats. Surprise, mixed with fear, poured into her and sent her powers into overdrive, and somewhere down the street she heard the sound of an exploding trashcan.

"She is the one that is in the most amount of danger from your reckless decision to keep these changes a secret. I witnessed the destruction that both you and Adonis caused, and saw the raw emotions in your eyes. There is something there that words cannot describe, and if she is not prepared for what is to come, she will be injured. Or worse. _That_ is my concern." Starfire's words were sharp, and even Raven could feel the sting in them.

"I know." Beast Boy's voice was soft, almost pained. "I know. But what am I supposed to do, Star? I can't push her away or pretend that I don't need her. I can't keep myself away from her, even if it's the best decision. She has to be in my life… she _has _to. It's not a want… it's a _need_."

"It is because of you that she is in this danger." Starfire's footsteps stopped and Raven felt her heavy, severe stare nearly cut Beast Boy. "You are dangerous to her, and you will cause her pain if you are not careful." There was a long pause before she continued. "The beast promised to protect her above all else, will you do the same?"

The movement beneath Raven stopped and she was jerked around as Beast Boy faced Starfire behind him. He was shocked, making Raven's ears ring with the force of his emotions and her muscles vibrate with the surge of energy. "Wait a second, Star… are you telling me that you… _spoke_ with him? The beast?"

"I did." There was another pause as she tried to read her friend. "Do you find this surprising? He seemed to imply that you two spoke on a regular basis. That you were aware of him as more than just an entity within your mind."

"I knew he was more than a beast. I knew he was _intelligent…_ I just didn't know he could speak to other people or carry on conversations. I mean… you've _seen _him. He's a big hairy monster who grunts and growls. I didn't think he had the biology for speech."

Something deeper than concern or fear poured into Raven, and somewhere inside her, she felt her emotions start to push back. He was triggering her fight-or-flight mechanism by simply being next to her. Raven moved against his arms, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Does he look like the beast? When he talks?"

"Sometimes. Other times he appears to assume your form."

"You mean… he can walk around looking like _me_? Like… _Invasion of the Body Snatchers_?"

"I do not know what a 'body snatcher' is, but he can assume your human form."

He whined. "Aw, come _on_. This is the worst thing ever! I don't even get to keep myself?"

"That's enough." Raven finally opened her eyes and stared up into his face, feeling her control over her powers reach their limits. "Keep it down and _put_ me down, you're giving me a headache." She struggled against his arms and found herself in a heap on the pavement. Cursing under her breath and rubbing her sore back, she stared up at his shocked face. "What in your right mind gave you the idiotic idea that I wanted to be _carried_ through _public streets_ downtown?"

Beast Boy took a step back, holding his hands in front of him for defense. At least he was aware of the danger he was in. "You were hurt! And I… _couldn't_ let Starfire carry you."

"That doesn't give you a reason to damage my reputation." Raven stood up and glowered at him from beneath her hooded sweatshirt. She glanced over at Starfire, who had taken a cautious step back, knowing full well what would happen if Raven became too angry. "Carrying me around like… like… some _princess_?Now everyone in the city is going to think I'm some simpering damsel in distress who faints at the sight of a monster. Good job. Idiot." She growled and looked around the street, snapping her teeth at anyone who thought they should stop and stare.

"Raven…" Beast Boy's words drifted off as he stared at her, and Raven felt the cool feeling of relief fill the space between them. She turned and looked into his eyes which looked a considerable amount wetter than they had a minute ago. He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms, crushing her against his chest. "Who the fuck cares? You're _safe._ It doesn't matter what people think, you're safe."

He leaned his cheek against her forehead and brought a hand to her throat, touching the tender skin there as if he was trying to wipe something away. Raven winced as pain shot through her body, and memories flooded her senses, pushing violently against her mind. They had fought. Her and Adonis and the beast. They rolled and clawed and yelled and ran like animals through city streets. Adonis had nearly killed her. He crawled on top of her and his hands had wrapped around her throat as he tried to snuff out the life in her. Over what? Possession? If he couldn't have her no one could.

"Get off." Raven pushed his arms away and took a step back, staring at him with fear. He was a beast. This was more than what happened between them last week, it was a million times worse. Beast Boy's own shock and pain ripped through her, tugging at her powers until the shop windows next to them bore the brunt of her stress. There was a shockwave of emotions that rippled the air before glass shattered and exploded from their frames, raining down on them in small, glittering shards. Starfire pulled a few innocent people from harm's way, but Raven and Beast Boy stood there, staring at each other.

How could this have happened? It was supposed to have been a day with friends, easy and normal. How had it gone so terribly wrong? Raven held her head, trying to sort through the broken memories. Adonis called her… his mate. Screamed about females and rutting. Accused her of being "marked" and being a whore. What in the nine levels of Hell did all of this mean? And what did it have to do with her?

"Raven…" Beast Boy reached out to comfort her, but Raven pushed his hand away, taking another step back. Glass crunched under her foot, reminding her of what happened when she was pushed too far.

"Please. Don't touch me." She knew, logically, that she shouldn't be afraid of him. He was Beast Boy, her friend and teammate for years. She knew more about him than he probably knew about himself. But that didn't stop her from feeling lost and confused, and it _certainly _didn't stop her from remembering what he said to her and what happened between him and Adonis. They were both violent, primeval beasts, capable of killing each other, and her if she got too close to either one of them.

"Raven... I..."

She swallowed and stepped even further back, still trying to put space between them. Around her she felt people staring at the exchange, curious about what was happening between the two heroes. Emotions pressed against her, curiosity, fear, concern, anger, and the building behind her started to thrum with the pressure on her own emotions. Her heart had picked up a frantic rhythm against her chest, threatening to break her ribs under the pressure. She needed to calm down, to look at this _logically. _So, why couldn't she stop this overwhelming feeling of anxiety? "You... the beast…"

Beast Boy winced and looked away, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. "I... I don't know what he said to you, and I only know I fought Adonis because Star told me, but please believe me that I never wanted any of this to happen. I didn't _mean _for any of this to happen. And, I never expected you to get hurt the way you did."

"The way I did…?" Raven swallowed hard and stared into his face, looking for some indication that he truly hadn't expected this, that this was a freak accident that would never be repeated. But, there were shadows in his green eyes, and Raven began to doubt him, in spite of the faith she wanted to keep. "You expected me to get hurt though?"

There was a long pause before Beast Boy responded, and Raven could feel the pain twist inside him. "I... I didn't know what would happen once the beast took over."

Whatever fear was inside her quickly dissipated at the confession, and was replaced by burning anger. She pushed herself forward, feeling her emotions reach out for him. "You _knew _the beast was inside you, looking for a way out, didn't you?" Beast Boy tried to respond, but he stumbled over his words, and ended up looking away from her. She closed her eyes and fought for sanity in all of this, fought for some kind of civility. "You _knew _that something was going to happened to me, and yet you didn't think it was important to warn me?"

"I couldn't!"

"_Couldn't_?" A black tendril of power wrapped around him before Raven could stop herself. The onlookers suddenly seemed interested in other things and they moved away from the group on the sidewalk. Even Starfire placed more space between herself and her friends. Raven gnashed her teeth and growled. "What do you mean you _couldn't_?"

"I didn't want you to be afraid of me!"

The air instantly stilled around them, and Raven could feel the tension snap instantly. Her powers receded back into her body and she took a step away from him. "Afraid of you?" She swallowed hard and stared at him, trying to keep all of her emotions from jumping out at once. He frightened her sometimes, but it wasn't necessarily his fault. She couldn't blame him "Why would I be afraid of you? You're my friend."

"I… I've seen that fear in your eyes before, Raven. When we first ran into Adonis four years ago and he attacked. When you first saw the beast inside me, I saw you tremble and shrink away from me. Did you know what that did to me? It broke me. I wouldn't have been able to handle that again." Beast Boy found the courage to look into her eyes again. "It was the worst feeling in the world to know that I scared you. _You_, Raven, who is half-demon. _I _scare you. I didn't want that to happen. I'll admit that it was a _stupid _decision in keeping this to myself, but I couldn't stand the idea that you would hate me because of the beast."

"Hate you?" Raven felt the anger leave her almost as quickly as it entered. He was afraid that she would _hate_ him? She wasn't even sure how to process that information. Raven knew she could be mean sometimes, and knew she could get angry with him for being annoying, but _hate _him? Fear him? That would never cross her mind, ever. "Beast Boy, I don't know what to say. Why do you think I would hate you? This isn't your fault, I know that."

He looked at her, but didn't say anything.

"I'll admit, you frighten me." She felt his eyes move to stare at his feet. "You can't fault me for that, after what happened and what I saw from both you and Adonis. You have nothing but raw power, and I know what power does to people. But, I scare you too. And don't tell me that I don't… what's important is that we don't let that fear control who we are."

His eyes met hers again and he sighed, leaning back on his heels. "Can you promise me you won't let your fear for me control you?"

Raven jerked a little at that strange and enigmatic question. "I can promise I'll try."

That wasn't the answer he had been hoping for, and he looked away frowning. Thank goodness for Starfire's tact. "Raven... this is new to all of us. Including Beast Boy. We must be patient and hear Beast Boy's side of the story before we make assumptions and decisions…" Starfire's lips pressed down into a frown and she turned to look at the small crowd that had gathered around them, shifting under their curious stare. "And perhaps this is a discussion that would be much better had in a private location?"

"Yeah…" Beast Boy rubbed the back of his neck and gave an awkward smile to a group of middle-aged women who were inching closer to him. "I'd rather not air my dirty laundry all over the sidewalk, if you don't mind."

"Your clothes appear relatively clean…" Starfire's face turned red as soon as the words left her mouth, and she shrank back a little in shame. "I have misunderstood a colloquialism… did I not?"

Beast Boy chuckled and put a hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, but it's okay, Star. You're only alien."

Raven stared at the sight of his hand on her shoulder, feeling something sour rise into her stomach. She pushed the feeling back into submission and moved away from them, rolling her eyes. "Your jokes are still awful."

Beast Boy chased after her, with Starfire in tow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means your jokes are terrible and you should feel terrible. And, I don't want to hear them." She stopped and looked back into Beast Boy's face, seeing the fear start to melt away under their regular interactions. He looked relieved almost, that there was some normalcy that could be found between them, after their fight with Adonis, and even after his confessions. It was proof that she didn't hate him, and things could go back to the way they always were.

"Awe, come on, Raven! You love my jokes!" Her threw an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him. He smiled at her sour expression, as if nothing strange had happened between them.

Raven sighed and pushed his arm off her shoulders, glaring. "It doesn't matter how many times you say it, Beast Boy, it's never going to be true." She started back down the street, feeling the two of them trail behind her.

"But I'll keep trying."

"Please, spare me."

His fingers wrapped around her wrist and Raven suddenly felt herself being pulled against him again. Her own pulse thudded through her ears and he smiled against her hair. Why did he have to keep holding her like this? "Thanks, Rae… for… everything. And for not giving up on me."

"Who said I haven't given up on you?" She stared up into his smiling face and gave her standard, deadpanned expression. Behind him, she could hear Starfire's amused chuckle, and she pushed Beast Boy off her. "And I told you this morning to stop with the touchy-feely crap. Jeez."

"You like my touchy-feely crap, admit it."

"As much as I like a hole in my head. Now, shut up." She put her hands on her hips and stared at him. "We have to get back to the tower, because I seem to remember Starfire saying that something along the lines of promising to talk to Robin about all of this."

His face fell and he pushed past her, exuding the sticky air of guilt and defeat. "Yeah… yeah… don't remind me."

Raven rolled her eyes and followed him down the street. _This_ should be interesting.

)O(

"Would someone _please_ explain to me what the _hell_ is going on?" Cyborg stood outside Robin's office looking from Starfire to Raven and back again. Starfire looked away, as if caught doing something naughty, but Raven just stared at his face unblinking. Cybrog rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall. "I go out grocery shopping and come home to find Raven's been attacked by Adonis and the whole tower town up in arms about Beast Boy over… _what_ exactly?"

"Not my place to tell." Raven turned and looked at the door, knowing she couldn't hear the conversation inside, but she could feel the push and pull of emotions from Robin and Beast Boy. Anger, sadness, confusion, betrayal, and a million other emotional hybrids that Raven didn't have names for. What in the world were they talking about? "You'll have to ask Beast Boy for that information."

Cyborg shook his head and groaned. "I don't know what kind of problem he got himself into today, but I know better than to go sticking my nose into it. Robin looked like he was going to strangle the remote when BB said something to him. Nope, I am staying out of whatever _that _is."

Starfire opened her mouth as if she was going to say something, and then decided against it. She sighed and started toward the stairwell, shoulders hunched and gait slowed. "I do not have the indication that I will be any use here. Perhaps I should go make dinner… I believe we will need some kind of sustenance after today."

Cyborg paled and glanced down at Raven, eyes wide. "Is she serious? Her idea of cooking is throwing food into a bowl with mustard! It's worse than yours."

"I know." Raven's stomach turned as she remembered Starfire's last attempt at cooking. The nightmares still haunted her, being chased by glowing orange Jell-o molds. She shook her head and waved him off. "Go after her, before she decides to cook and we all get food poisoning again. Like last week."

He paled again and started chasing after her. "Hang on a sec, Star! Let me help you! Remember, raw shrimp is not edible and should not be mixed with popcorn!"

"Raven."

Raven jerked and turned around to look into Robin's frowning face. She could almost see the emotions rolling off of him like heatwaves. Whatever they talked about must have really gotten him worked up. "And what would you like, Wonder Boy?"

His frown deepened and he opened the door to his office a little wider. "Can you come in here, please? We'd like to talk to you."

"We?" Raven rolled her eyes and started moving toward the door, feeling strangely like she had gotten caught being mean on the playground and was now being called into the principal's office. She stepped into the room, and nearly choked on the volatile energy there. It was as if the room was filled to the brink with both of their emotions. Any more angry words between each other and Raven thought she might burst. She kept her face blank and stared at Robin. "So, what do you want?"

He looked over at Beast Boy and waved his hand, as if urging him to start talking. "Anytime you want to join in on the conversation, you can join. This is all about you and her anyway."

"Seriously?" Beast Boy seethed and snapped his teeth at his leader. "You really want me to talk about my problems in front of you? Are you crazy, dude?"

"You already told me what was going on, who cares if I hear it again?" Robin rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, still keeping his frown permanently sewn onto his face. "Besides, you're _going_ to need a mediator in all of this. Do you really think she's going to be able to handle this news _calmly_?"

Beast Boy jerked and winced as if he'd been hurt, and Raven felt his pain ripple through the room. "That was low, dude. Too low."

"It's the _truth_, Beast Boy."

"Look, I don't care if I need a _mediator_ or not, Boy Blunder. I'm not telling her in front of you!" Beast Boy pushed at his shoulders, but Robin didn't even react. Beast Boy snapped his teeth again. "Just let us figure this out on our own. We don't need a mother hen looking over our shoulder every second."

"Really?" Robin snarled. "Because keeping it to yourself was working _so well_."

"Seriously, you're starting to piss me off."

"Get over yourself, I'm doing this for the good of the team!"

"Good of the team? Why? Because I'm some scary monster that needs to be locked up?"

Robin's eyes flashed, but Raven silenced him before he could respond. "Robin!" She saw his lips forming the movement to say "yes" and she knew that would break Beast Boy's heart even more. "That's _enough _from both of you. Look, if Beast Boy doesn't want to talk to me in front of you, then maybe you should leave us alone. He's not going to hurt me, and I think I can figure out my own problems without a mediator. Let us just have some time alone and we'll let you know what happened… okay?"

He grumbled under his breath and headed for the door. "Whatever." He moved towards the door and walked into the hallway. "But I'm not responsible for cleaning up his blood off the floor."

She rolled her eyes. "If you need to mediate, then why don't you go keep your girlfriend from making the shrimp, mustard, and Jell-o salad she did last week, okay?"

His face paled and he bolted out of the room in the direction of the kitchen. Raven smiled and closed the door behind him. "That'll keep him busy for a little bit."

Beast Boy's ears fell and he dry-heaved a little. "Star isn't really cooking dinner tonight, is she?"

"She has it in her head that we are going to need sustenance."

"Oh, god… I can't even think about what she did last time…" He blanched and dropped his head in his hands. "The kitchen smelled like an old seafood market for a week, and I was stuck eating soy bars in my room until it went away. Ugh." He sighed and looked up into her face, his normal color returning. "Sorry you had to see all of that, by the way. Robin is in an _extra _foul mood today, because apparently – and I'm not naming any names – _someone _told him about the _reason_ there was a lack of report for last week's mission." He stared at her, raising an eyebrow.

"He wouldn't drop it this morning, Beast Boy. I either told him, or he annoyed me for the rest of my life." Raven sat down in a folding chair next to him and sighed. "You would have done the same thing too, so don't go pointing fingers at me."

"Yeah… you're probably right." Beast Boy spun around in Robin's swivel chair, staring at the ceiling. "He can be such a bastard when he wants to be."

"It's part of his charm."

"Is that what we're calling it now?"

"I guess so…" Raven looked over at him and chuckled, feeling the tension in the air begin to unravel. They might not have a lot in common, but when there was tension between them, they could always break it with their shared annoyance of Robin's personality. Raven gave him a small smile. "Look, I know he wants you to tell me… something, and to be perfectly honest, I have a million unanswered questions about both you and Adonis. But… if you're not ready to tell me, I don't want to force you. It's not my place to tell you what to do. "

"That's not it." Beast Boy looked over at her and sighed, spinning the chair around for a little longer. "It's not that I'm not ready… and it's information you _need _to know… it's just that I'm just scared of what you'll think after I tell you. Robin is actually right, although don't tell him I said that. I need to tell you what's going on."

"And what is that?"

"You know that my beast has made a few appearances in the past week, right?"

"I was there for several of those incidences, unfortunately." Raven crossed her arms over her chest and watched him. "And?"

"Well, part of the reason he's been around a lot is because he's trying to protect something, and I…" His words died on his lips, and he sighed and leaned back in the chair, his head hanging over the back. He stared at the ceiling for a long moment before deciding to continue. "Can I ask you a really serious question, Raven?"

"That's unusual for you… but go ahead."

"Does your demon side ever make you do terrible things?"

Raven jerked slightly at the audacity of the question, but she refused to back down. If this was going to help answer her own questions, she would answer his. "That's a hefty question for the afternoon. But… you know the answer to that. You've seen the demon side of me more times that I can to count, and you know what it can do, even to my own friends. What brought that up?"  
"Well… I have a demon side too… only he's a little less evil and a little more animalistic."

"I know… I had the unfortunate opportunity to run into him on several occasions." Raven could feel the tension return to the air, and she swallowed hard. Where in the world could he be taking this? Yes, his beast was stronger than usual, but that shouldn't have anything to do with her. Did it have something to do with Adonis? "Exactly what does this have to do with me?"

Beast Boy didn't answer her right away, but continued on with his questions. "Your emotions, the _other _Ravens, they take over you, don't they? I mean, I've seen Happy push through on occasion. And, I know that sometimes, when Rage gets a hold of you, it's hard to tell where she begins and you end. Sure, you get all super-powerful-freaky-Raven, but you lose a part of yourself in the process… right?"

"Yes… and?" Where was he taking this?

He sighed and glanced over at her before returning his stare to the ceiling. "My beast is kind of the same way. He's like a parasite inside me, giving me strength and power, but he also takes a lot from me. He takes away some of my choices and sometimes I feel that he takes away parts of _me_."

Raven sighed and stared at him, spinning around in the chair. "This is great that we're bonding over our emotional and metaphysical shortcomings and all, but what _exactly_ does this have to do with me, Gar?"

He stopped spinning and looked over at her, his was face blank but his eyes were filled with shadows. The air thickened and he sighed. "The truth is that all of this... _stupidity_ this past week is because of me and my beast." He glanced away and looked back at her, swollowing hard. "My beast is looking for a mate and he's chosen you."

"Um... what?" Raven felt her heart fall into her stomach and her ears rang from the impact of his words. The world lurched to a stop beneath her and she almost fell out of her chair. Behind her, she could hear the newspaper clippings pinned to the wall explode and flutter to the floor. "Excuse me? Did you… just say what I _think_ you said?"

"My beast wants a mate. Specifically, you."

It felt as if someone had punched her in her stomach, and then reached into her chest and squeezed her lungs. How was she even supposed to respond to this? To make sense of it? Beast Boy had just told her that she was being hunted as a _mate._ To him. Her muscles twitched as if she was going to empty the contents of her stomach at any moment. She stood up suddenly, trying to focus on the exit, which now seemed a million miles away from her. "I… I have to go."

"Go?" His anger flashed through the room like lightning and he watched her move across the floor. "So, that's it? You're just going to leave and pretend that this conversation never happened?"

"What do you expect me to do?" She turned and looked at Beast Boy, who was still watching her. Her hands and legs were shaking as she inched toward the door. "What do you want me to _say_? Can you even imagine what is going through my head right now? You're sitting here, so calmly, telling me that I have been _chosen_ to be your mate, as if this is some kind of weird destiny and I should just accept it for what it is. Do you want me to be happy about it? It's okay, because it's just my _fate_?" Raven pulled the hood of her sweatshirt up over her face, feeling her emotions bubble up from inside her. "Did you even consider my feelings? Or what this might mean to me?"

"Yes! Of course I thought about you! Every day. Every hour. Every minute. Every second. I have always thought about _you_, Raven. I never wanted you to know about... _this._" He stood up, and she saw the ghost of fear swimming behind his eyes as he approached her. "I never wanted this for you, and I never dreamed this would happen. Believe me, I had _no_ intention of letting this… _thing_ try to control you, or make you into something you're not. I didn't want to control your fate; you've had enough of that."

Raven stopped the rude comments before they escaped her lips and looked away. "But I get the feeling that you're still forcing me to make this decision of being a... _mate._"

"No. Never." He looked into her eyes and shook his head. "I told you, I didn't want you to know about this, because I didn't want you to feel like you were pressured into something that wasn't your choice. I wouldn't have cared who you ended up with. I was content to live with the torment he created inside me, as long as I knew you were safe and happy. I never intended to tell you, because I thought you might be able to live without ever knowing."

Something inside her chest fluttered violently and she stared at him. "So, why couldn't you just let me live then? Why did you have to tell me now?"

"Because Adonis is messing with that peace I wanted for you. The beast inside me is becoming angrier and more possessive because Adonis is trying to claim you too. That's why he attacked you this afternoon. He was…" Beast Boy ran his hands though his hair and growled, and Raven could feel the push and pull of the beast as he paced the length of the room. They were both riled up and emotionally charged, one wrong move and Beast Boy would have snapped. "Essentially he was going to pin you down and force himself on you. If he _claimed_ you first I would have no choice but to back off and let him have you. You would have been his property."

"Are you _serious_?" Raven could feel the color leave her face as she stared at him. "What in the hell is _wrong _with both of you? How did this happen?"

"I don't know why it was you, Raven. I mean... it technically could have been anyone else on the entire planet, but for whatever reason you're the choice mate." He sighed and looked up at the ceiling again, as if he was trying to piece the puzzle together. "My guess is that it has something to do with the accident four years ago. We were all pulled into that toxic goo together... maybe we were all tied together somehow. I don't know. It's just a thought." He paused and looked over at her, his eyes meeting her own. "It _could_ have something to do with your unique genetic make-up."

"As in _what_? Because I'm a big scary demon, like a big scary beast?"

"No." He frowned, insulted by her comment. "Well, I guess the demon part might have something to do with it... Look, Raven, you're strong, powerful, smart, and attractive." Raven felt the color return to her face tenfold, and she looked away as Beast Boy continued. "By all accounts, you are the perfect mate for the beast, and whatever that accident did to all three of us just solidified that idea. And, because you are the Alpha Female you're only allowed to be claimed by the Alpha Male, which depends wholly on who gets you first."

"That sounds suspiciously like a paradox."

"It is."

"Great. Just fucking great." Raven fought the urge to pound her head on the wall. "So... what does this _mean_ exactly? That I have to choose one of you?"

"No. Well... I don't know. I really don't. I'd rather not see Adonis claim you, or anyone else really. He and I don't exactly have the same idea when it comes to a mate. He will see you as property, as a _thing_ to be possessed and owned. If you are going to refuse the beast, that's fine… but I don't want you to be controlled by _him_." Beast Boy fell back into the chair, his head held in his hands. "This wouldn't have ever been a problem if he had just _stayed_ in jail."

"Okay, so let me get this straight. You are telling me that the same thing that's happening to you is happening to Adonis?"

"Yes. Or at least that's what I assume is happening, because I'm not exactly inside his head." Beast Boy cursed under his breath. "His beast is going through the same _mating process _as me, and he wants _you_ as his mate."

"And you also want me as your mate."

"Technically… yes."

"I'm not going to ask you to elaborate on that." She felt strangely injured by his desire to keep distance between them. "An you are technically both Alpha Males… but whoever claims me will be… what? Super-Ultra-Alpha Male?"

"Um… sure?"

"Well, that's _great_." Raven groaned and leaned back against the door, trying to piece everything together without making her head explode. How did this happen to her? Furthermore, _why_ did this happen to her? She looked into Beast Boy's eyes, but she didn't seem to find the answer to any of her questions there. "So, your beast wants me, Adonis wants me, and I… I really get no say in anything that _actually_ happens to me."

"I was trying to keep that from happening. I didn't want you to feel pressured by what I am, or feel like because I'm your friend you have to play by these stupid rules. You don't, and I never wanted you to." He sighed and looked up into her eyes. "I just wanted you to be happy, I didn't care who it was with."

Raven swallowed hard, trying to understand what he meant by that. She kept her face blank and looked at the floor, trying to break eye contact. "So, what do we do now? To keep Adonis from staking his claim on me?"

His cheeks flushed and he looked away, fidgeting. "I have one solution, and you won't like it."

"Well, there hasn't been a whole lot that I liked about today, so why don't you give it a shot?"

"Mate with me."

Raven turned and stared at him as if he'd grown a second head. "As in… have _sex_?"

"Yes." He didn't even blink.

_Sex_? With _Beast Boy_? Something in her stirred with both shock and revulsion. "Okay, _now_ you're being stupid."

"Well, that's the only option I have, other than kill Adonis or frame him to put him back in jail. And neither of those other options sounds _remotely _legal." He stood up and stared into her eyes, growling low in his throat. "Because, until you are _actually_ claimed, or until we can put him back into a high security prison, he's going to smell that you are… _open for business_."

"Ew. Gross. Please don't make me think about that." Raven pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers, trying to ward off a headache. "I can't believe we are having this conversation."

"Believe me, I would much rather have kept it in the dark for the rest of our lives."

She took a deep breath and tried to think about it logically, because her other options weren't exactly great. If she had sex with him, Adonis would stop trying to mate with her. But, what else would happen between them? Would it have been just a night of sex, or would it be something more? Raven looked over at him and felt her stomach twist inside her. What was she supposed to do? A million fights with Slade would have been a better option than this.

"So, if I have sex with you… then what happens between us?"

"Wait a second…" Beast Boy's mouth fell open and he stared at her. "Are you _seriously _considering this? I can't believe you."

"You _just_ told me this is the only option I have! Besides murder or framing! What did you expect?"

"But I didn't think you'd actually agree!"

"It's just sex, right?"

"Not for me!" Beast Boy winced as soon as the words left his mouth and he shrank back, color leaving his face. He turned away from her and pretended to be suddenly interested in the newspaper clippings on the floor. "Never mind. Just forget I said anything."

Raven felt her breath catch in her throat at the sight of him. Was he implying that maybe there was something more than friendship between them? A hundred different images and feelings welled up inside her as she watched him. "Beast Boy… do you… are you…"

"No. I'm not." He sighed and fell back into the chair, looking up at her with a dark, blank expression. Raven frowned at the cold feeling blossoming in her heart. Why was he was still trying to keep distance between them? Weren't they... she shook her head. She didn't even know what they were, friends, or teammates, or something else.

Beast Boy shook his head. "Trust me, I'm _not_. I just don't want our team to fall apart because we had sex to fix a problem. And I don't know what will _really _happen between us if we actually have sex. Or mate. Or bump uglies. Or whatever you want to call it. And, I don't know what could change in you or me. What if this isn't _just _sex? What if it's something more? I don't want to take the chance of creating an unwanted destiny for you because we have a problem with a narcissistic asshole."

"Can we _not _call it 'bump uglies'?" Raven sighed and stared up at the ceiling, still trying to calm herself down. The whole conversation sounded surreal, like something out of a strange dream. She almost expected to open her eyes and find herself naked in front of a classroom.

"I guess I really didn't think about it like that… I understand your concerns, Beast Boy... but look at what the problem is: Adonis. While he's not exactly one of our 'Top Ten Baddies' he's still enough to be a serious problem." She paused and tried to offer him a reassuring smile. "And, I'm just considering it like any other spell. If I have to use a spell to fix a problem… it doesn't really matter what the ingredients to the spell are or how I get them, as long as I get the right result. So if sex is the only _logical _way to stop Adonis from _attacking _me, then maybe this is the best solution. And, if I'm going to lose my virginity, I might as well lose it to a friend."

"I cannot believe you are being _serious._" Beast Boy threw his hands up into the air as if defeated. "I am not having this conversation with you, Raven. That's it. We are not having sex. End of story. We'll just have to figure out something else."

"Look at the destruction he caused, Beast Boy. Look at what almost happened to _me_… he nearly killed me, and took out an entire park in the fight that followed. And that was just _one_ incident… how long is this going to go on? How much destruction is there going to be, and what if someone gets hurt in the process? Or worse?"

His eyes closed and he looked away, emotions rippling through the room in waves. "So, what… we have sex and things go back to normal. Just friends? It's just one night… it's not going to change anything." He stood up and approached her, his anger spicing the air as if it were a thunderstorm. He pushed her against the door, his hand curling under her chin to bring her face closer to his. Heat and electricity crackled between them, and Raven was pretty sure that her heart had flown out of her chest a few seconds ago. He leaned down and brushed his lips against hers in a mock kiss, as his hands sliding down her side and over her hip. "It's just sex, right?"

His fingers pushed her top up and slid along the stitching of her jeans, touching her skin. Raven barely could hear Robin's desk lamp explode over the pounding of her own heart. She stared up into Beast Boy's face and forced a frown onto her lips. "Well, we wouldn't have to do this. This romance is unnecessary."

Beast Boy smiled mockingly at her, and dropped his voice low. "Clearly you need a lesson in anatomy. Because, unfortunately, not all of my parts work without a little foreplay." His tongue darted out and ran along the seam of her lips while his hands drifted to the back of her body to cup her ass. "So, this _unnecessary romance_ is going to have to happen."

"Stop." Raven pushed at his shoulders and put space between them. She knew she must have been breathing hard and her whole body felt like it was on fire. What in the world was he doing to her, and why did she let him? Raven glared and readjusted her clothes. "This isn't funny."

"No… it's not. It's not supposed to be." His eyes darkened and he stepped away from her, giving them both space. "Now, do you see what the problem is? What would happen between us, or the team, if we just had meaningless sex?"

"Then what? We frame Adonis for a crime and throw him back in jail?"

Beast Boy shrugged. "We could."

"We're better than that!"

"So, what then? We have sex and that's it?"

Raven felt her heart skip a beat as she thought about what happened only minutes before. Could she look at him the same way without thinking about what transpired between them? Or how he made her feel? But the real question was: would she really be happy with just a single, empty sexual encounter with Beast Boy? She glanced over at Robin's desk lamp, which was an indistinguishable blob of metal and plastic. It was a physical manifestation of what happened when she lost control. She thought maybe she was brave enough to just let him have sex with her, but maybe she wasn't as brave as she thought she was.

"What kind of _man _are you?" Raven frowned and stared him in the eyes, trying to keep the tough, logical Raven façade. "Are you seriously throwing away a night of guilt-free sex?"

"Are you _seriously_ twenty years old and _still_ a virgin?"

"That was low, and you're a jerk." Raven's eyes narrowed and her hands found the door handle and yanked it open. "I'm done having this conversation."

"Good." Beast Boy crossed his arms over his chest and watched her leave. "Because I'm not having sex with you. _Ever_."

"Fine. I never wanted sex with you anyway!" She slammed the door closed and stared into the darkness of the hall, feeling color floor her entire body. Had she _really_ just let those words come out of her mouth?

)O(

_Thanks for reading! Sorry about the delay in getting this to you, I was fighting with this last scene for a bit. Anyway, let me know what you think!_


	5. Chapter Four

**To Claim and Possess  
**Chapter Four

)O(

Raven stormed down the sidewalk, well aware that she was probably making a spectacle of herself. She knew a black cloud of energy followed her, which occasionally exploded a trashcan or some other small items filled with debris. At one point a light post reshaped its self into a pretzel. People glanced at her in shock, opening their mouths to scold her, but, they quickly realized who it was and pretended to never see a thing. Anyone who lived in Jump City knew better than to stare at Raven; that would be asking for something terrible to happen to their souls.

Evening was starting to stretch across the pavement in long shadows, and the heat from the day gave way to a thick, quiet coolness. Raven took a deep breath and slowed her pace from a rushed stomp to a walk, trying to calm the pounding in her head. Okay, perhaps running from the tower like an angry child wasn't exactly her _finest_ reaction, but she didn't exactly feel like she could be blamed given the circumstances. Anything was better than being in that tower with _him_. In fact, anything was better than being on this _planet_ with him.

"You look lonely, sweet cheeks."

Raven's mind didn't even have time to understand or comprehend what was said to her before her body reacted. She stopped mid step and turned to stare at the dark eyes watching her. Adonis. Anger bubbled up into her throat, spilling out curses in at least ten different languages. Energy gathered at her fingertips, hissing and crackling with raw power. Black tendrils snaked around his throat, tightening just enough to make him realize she was dangerous, but not tight enough to kill him. Yet. She _refused_ to be controlled by him again, and refused to let him attack her. Especially now that she knew what he was after.

"You've got _some nerve_ showing your face around me after what happened to me this afternoon." She let her eyes glow red and pushed closer to him, letting him feel the full extent of her powers. "Give me one valid reason I shouldn't kill you right here and banish your pathetic soul to the depths of hell to be fodder for low-level demons."

"Whoa. Hold on there, Killer." He raised his hands to his throat and fought against the power curling around his neck, fear shining in his eyes. One wrong move and he could be in _serious _trouble. He tried to give her a smile, but it looked sickly and desperate. "I'm beast-free for the moment. See? Just me. Promise. I just want to have a sort of normal talk with you. Ya know, without being killed or maimed."

"What could we _possibly_ have to talk about?" Raven tightened her magic and he grunted in frustration, still clawing at the black tendrils around his neck. "You are nothing more than a pathetic excuse for a human being."

"Yeah?" He was gasping for breath now, his toes struggling to stay on the pavement and his eyes glossing over. "But I know that you've got some troubles of your own."

"Like _what_?" Her magic tightened, and Raven's extra set of eyes slid open as Rage pushed through her powers. "How could you _possibly_ know _anything_ about what is happening to me?"

"You're not the only one being cursed by the beast."

That blatant admission threw Raven a little off-balance, and her magic dropped out of surprise. Adonis coughed and sputtered as his feet hit the pavement, trying to regain his composure after his brush with death. Raven stared at him, trying to figure out how to approach this whole situation cautiously. She knew there was a monster that lived inside Adonis. After all, she had been attacked by it. But, she also got the feeling that Adonis was willing to tell her something Beast Boy didn't - or couldn't - tell her.

"You know about this too?" She hid her face in the lengthening shadows and stared at him, keeping her expression blank. Her powers reached out to tentatively touch his aura. He was telling the truth, and for the moment he was beast-free. But that didn't make him any less dangerous. This whole interaction set her on edge, but what choice did she have if she _really _wanted answers? "You know about this… _mating_ thing?"

"Yeah. Well, enough." Adonis's face twisted into an expression of anger and he looked away from her, rubbing the red mark around his neck. "Do you _honestly_ think I wanna spend my free time chasin' the tail of some creepy goth Titan? Especially if she's a crazy bitch who wants to kill me? Ah… _no_." He looked back at her and flashed a cocky, lopsided smile. "Besides, I'm _way _outta your league anyway."

"Says the boy who _keeps_ chasing the creepy goth Titan." Raven rolled her eyes and took a step back, being sure to keep plenty of space between them. Her fingers found her communicator and brushed against the buttons, trying to decide what to do. He might have been human for the moment, but that didn't mean she should trust him, and he was a wanted (albeit free) criminal. If she called her friends too soon, she doubted she would get any information from Adonis, but if she called them too late… well, Raven tried not to dwell on that topic. She was walking a very fine line.

"So, what do you want from me?"

"A cup of coffee." He raised his hands in surrender, his eyes meeting hers in the darkness. "I promise, that's it. I just wanna sit down for a sec and have like a _real_ conversation with you about all this…" He waved his hand around and shrugged. "Ya gotta admit that this is fucking weird. I mean, me and _you_, creepy Titan, yeah right… it's straight-up strange."

Raven's eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him. "You're not exactly making a case for yourself when you keep insulting me."

"Yeah, yeah… whatever." He waved her off and reached for his phone, clearly more interested in anything other than her. "Anyway, I'm gonna guess that green bean told you all he could, right? Ya know, about _us_ and what we are."

"I'm not sure what he told me." Raven felt anger flare up inside her and she took another step away from him. It felt downright _disgusting_ to have to carry on this conversation with someone that had basically climbed on top of her – in _public _– and screamed to the surrounding world that she was a whorish bitch. But then again, she had to remember that he should have been considered another victim in this too. It wasn't as if he _wanted_ to be connected to Raven, and she _certainly_ did not want to be connected to him.

"That you're our mate." He gave a one shouldered shrug and pocketed his phone again, his eyes wandering over her body shamelessly. "Well, one of us, anyway gets to tap that. All that crime fighting's got your ass lookin' pretty fine, and I'm usually not one for creepy goth girls."

"So you've said…" Raven clenched her teeth as she fought the urge to curse at him. She needed to put up with him, at least long enough to get new information out of him. He might have been a complete and utter douche bag, but he might have had a different perspective on what was happening to her. If she could tolerate his presence for a few minutes, she might find out something new about him and what was happening to Beast Boy.

"You need a set of tits though."

Raven's hands tightened into fists, and a bolt of raw power splintered from her fingertips to the pavement, shattering the concrete under her. She glared at him from beneath her hooded sweatshirt. "Do you have _any_ respect at all for the opposite sex?"

Adonis snorted and cocked a hip to the side, still leering at her. "Sure. I respect that they need to be in the kitchen or the bedroom."

"I'm sorry, I don't remember the world being suddenly transported back in time to when men were disgusting barbarians." Raven crossed her arms over her chest to keep her hands from shaking with rage. Okay, maybe this _was_ a bad idea. In fact, maybe this was a downright _terrible _idea. No amount of information would be worth the torture she would have to endure from him. She turned and started down the sidewalk, trying to keep away from him. "You know what? Forget about this, you can talk to me when you find some maturity."

"Aw, come on. Don't be like that." He trotted after her, grinning. "Just one cup of coffee, and I'll see if I can answer any questions he didn't, and maybe you can answer a few of my own."

Raven glared, but didn't stop her pace. "Like _what_?"

"Like what you're wearing under that hoodie."

Raven blanched and recoiled from him. "You know what? Whatever you're going to tell me, isn't worth the pain and suffering of _actually_ having to talk with you. I'm going home."

He let her walk away a few steps before he responded to her. "You're missing a memory, aren't you? Maybe two?"

Raven stopped mid-step and swallowed hard, turning around to look at him. How in the world had he known? She closed her eyes against the push of emotions and looked away, trying to keep herself hidden. He grinned at her and rocked back on his heels, knowing that he'd won against her.

"I'm right, aren't I?" He shoved his hands in his jacket's pockets and watched her through his shaggy bangs. For a second, he looked like a cat toying with its food, deciding whether or not to eat it. "Let me take a few guesses… you're missing a memory that meant a lot to you, and the last time you spoke with green bean's beast, he took it. You don't know what memory it was … am I right?"

Raven let a moment of silence hang between them before she spoke. "How'd you know?"

He shrugged, trying to be coy. "Maybe I don't fight my beast like green bean does. Maybe he and I talk a bit more and have a better understanding of each other. But, I guess you wouldn't find that out unless you talked to me." He started off in the other direction, knowing full well that he had trapped her into going with him. "So… g'night, Raven. If you happen to change your mind, let me know."

Raven stood there and watched his retreating form, praying that she was making the right decision. Her fingers stroked her communicator again, all it would take was one call and she could have her team here. She was safe, right?

"Hang on…" She took a deep breath and stepped up to him, looking into his eyes. "Half an hour. That's it. You and I will have coffee, in a _crowded, _busycoffee shop, where there are spectators watching us, and it has a limit of half an hour. After that, I value my soul too much to stick around you, and you probably value your manhood enough to keep it attached to your body."

Adonis laughed. "So, it's a date. C'mon, you can buy the coffee."

Raven rolled her eyes and walked next to him, making sure she kept plenty of space between them. "_Great_. That's so kind of you."

"It's 'cause I'm a nice guy."

"Mm-hm… _right_. And, this is_ not_ a date. This is a lesson in patience." Raven followed him into the nearest chain coffee shop and they sat down across from each other, listening to the noise around them. There was a long moment of awkward silence before he leaned forward.

"Ya know, in low watt lighting you don't look half bad. Cute nose." He gave her a once-over and cocked a half-smile at her. "But _really, y_ou could do with some tits. I mean, were they just not handing out tits on your birthday? Pad those things or something."

Raven glared and leaned back in her chair, as far away from him as possible. Behind the counter, a few mugs broke with the force of her restraint. She glared at Adonis. "You know, you're a _real _douche bag. I thought they were completely extinct, but I guess I was wrong. Apparently there are a few still left."

He chuckled and shrugged. "You're just upset because your sexy Tameranean teammate has nice knockers and you were left with the short end of the stick."

"I hope you realize that the _only _reason I am not killing you in a slow and gruesome death is because you have information I want. When I decide I don't want that information anymore, I don't have any reason to _not_ kill you. Just, keep that in mind when you are talking to me." She glared at him, but he didn't seem all that responsive to her un-worded threats. Raven finally sighed and looked at the clock, starting her mental timer. "Thirty minutes, so let's just get this over, so I can go back to my own, real life. Okay?"

"Whatever you want, sweet cheeks."

Raven pinched the bridge of her nose, her other hand instinctively moved toward her communicator. No, she needed to be patient. She hadn't quite gotten her answers yet. Once she had those, then she could kill him. "You're insufferable and I am not enjoying this at all. I would just like to remind you of that fact." She paused for a moment as the waitress brought their coffee over and smiled at him. Adonis checked out her backside as she shuffled away and grinned. Raven growled and somehow managed to _not _throw his coffee into his lap. He was _disgusting. _There was no other term that could possibly describe him.

She glared at him and sipped her tea. "Can we at least _try _focus here? Instead of staring at girls you don't even possibly have a _chance _with?" Raven snarled at him and he looked back at her, his eyes laughing.

"I will always have a chance with girls like that, and that's just somethin' you're gonna have to deal with. 'Sides, you're just jealous 'cause I didn't look at you like that." He sipped his coffee, and leaned back in his chair, draping his arm behind him. "Admit it."

Raven rubbed her temples and stared into her tea, taking deep breaths. Just half an hour, and then she wouldn't ever have to deal with him again. She could get her answers, she could call her team, and they could arrest him again. Or, she could skip the team all together and really use his soul as fodder for low level demons. Raven glanced up at him, her eye twitching. "Back to the topic at hand: _why_ am I missing a memory?"

He shrugged. "You're missing a memory of Beast Boy, right?"

"I would assume so, since most of this _debacle _revolves around him." Raven rolled her eyes and tapped her fingers on the table, trying to ignore the hairline cracks in the glass next to her. Was that from her? Great. Her powers were going to go haywire if she didn't reel them in. "If I knew who it was with, I probably wouldn't be missing it."

"Hey now, no reason to get technical, babe."

The cracks in the glass deepened and Raven cursed. "I'm not your babe."

"Whatever you say, honey." He shrugged and leaned forward, trying to keep a serious look on his face. "So, here's what's going on with your missing memory. The beast doesn't exactly have its own emotions or memories. It's all just the will to survive and all that shit. Oh yeah, and _procreate_." He grinned at her suggestively, but Raven ignored him. He wasn't even worth a glare at this point. "But, it wants to have what we have. Ya know, emotions and feelings and stuff. So, the beast steals our memories and lives in them. It lives through us… what's that word... vracilously?"

Raven pinched the bridge of her nose and prayed again that the half hour would pass quickly. He was disgusting _and _stupid. What a _lovely_ combination. "Vicariously."

"Yeah. Varcalisoly. The beast lives through our memories and gets to experience all the awesome stuff we have. Ya know, like pleasure and friendship and love. Oh, and _sex._" He continued to grin at her and Raven's fingers twitched in the direction of his coffee cup. All it would take was one flick of the wrist to teach him a lesson. Adonis was oblivious to her mental attack and continued on. "Anyway, you're super special because your brain is different. You can move through minds and memories and… what's the glow-y stuff psychics see?"

"Auras."

"Yeah. You see that stuff. So, I'm gonna guess green bean and you had some kind of memory together, and the beast wanted it. It had enough of green bean's thoughts, so when it entered your mind it took the one you found the specialest."

Raven closed her eyes. "Most special."

"That's what I said. Duh." He rolled his eyes at her and leaned back in his chair again, still staring at her. "So, that's why you're missing a memory. Green bean has it, and I bet he doesn't even know it. The beast is probably hoarding it to himself."

Raven stared at him for a long moment, trying to weed through all the nonsense to get to the facts. As much as it pained her to admit, his words had validity. It made sense in a way. The beast was not something that had a past, or a body to create a past. It was a parasite within Beast Boy, claiming his body when he wanted it, but unable to create new memories with Raven, outside of experiences. Except he had attempted a few times, and they had all ended in failure. Raven rubbed her forehead, her mind racing through a million different magical spells and properties at once. This was beyond her comprehension, and it frightened her.

Adonis was quiet for a moment, before he caught her attention. "Hey, you're a crazy magician right? Like Zatanna?" He paused for another moment, a slow, uncomfortable smile peeling across his lips. "Man, Zatanna is _hot_. With a capital H. Fucking tits everywhere. And fishnets… oh, yeah."

Raven groaned and somehow resisted the urge to punch him. "Your _point_, Adonis?"

"Well, she does that weird, creepy dreamwalking stuff, right?"

"In _comic books_." Raven wanted to strangle him and throw his body to the shadows. "Zatanna and I have never actually carried on extended conversations. I met her once in passing, so I'm not exactly sure what the extent of her powers are… what _is _your point in all of this?"

"Really?" Adonis seemed genuinely surprised. "I thought all superheroes were like best friends or whatever. You know, hanging out with Batman in the Fortress of Solitude and everything." Adonis seemed to ponder that thought, and Raven's fingers tightened over her own mug as he continued blathering on. "Hey, who is Batman, by the way? I mean you have to know, right? You're teammates with Birdboy and everything."

"I don't know, I am not privy to that knowledge, and quite frankly, I don't want to know." Raven gritted her teeth and forced her grip off of her mug. She didn't have to shed blood today, no matter how much she wanted to. "Look, Adonis, if you're not going to stay on track with this conversation, I am going to go home."

"Jeez. Don't get your panties in a bunch, sweet cheeks." He huffed out an irritated breath and rolled his eyes. "I only asked, 'cause you can go all freaky magician if you want and see Beast Boy's dreams."

Raven jerked back in surprise. "What?"

"Yeah, you can see the dream you're missing. At least, thoretorically." Raven didn't even have the energy to correct him, and he continued to talk. "See, it's like this: the beast is gonna wanna relive the memory he took from you, and he can only do that if green bean's mind is dormant. So, he's gonna dream about the memory, and you can see it if you enter green beans dreams."

Dear goddess, that actually made logical sense. There was no way in all the levels of heaven or hell, or any of the existing dimensions, that _Adonis _would know complex magical concepts like that. How did he _know? _Raven's eyes narrowed and she stared at him for a long time. "I don't mean to be rude… scratch that, yes I do. How in the _world _do you know all this? I'm amazed you put your shoes on the correct feet every morning. These are complex and advanced magical theories that you are talking about."

"Hey, now. I'm a smart adult. I know stuff about things and all." He seemed genuinely insulted, but he shook her words off. "Besides, four years in Jump City Pen solitary confinement gives you lots of time to talk to your inner-beast. He and I have had a few conversations about you, about him, about green bean. I learn things good."

"I'm _sure_." Raven glanced at the clock, feeling relief flood her body. She had gotten her answers, she hadn't shed any blood, and he was going to be taken back to jail. Things happened to turn out all right. Thank the Goddess. "Well, that was thirty-one minutes. I'm going home."

"Ha. You know you want to figure out more."

Raven stood up and started for the door. "I want to go home."

"Not an option."

_Shit._ Raven looked back and saw the slow smile start to creep across his face.

Stupid. She was so stupid for letting herself be blinded by the idea that the beast was dormant. He wouldn't stay dormant forever, she should have known that. Her heart pounded out a frantic rhythm as she glanced around the shop quickly counting the patrons. Twenty three. There were twenty three potential victims crowded into the small space, each oblivious to the danger that sat in the corner. She turned back to look at Adonis, who was still smiling at her from across the table.

He leaned his chin on his hands and stared at her. "You're a little too trusting of a felon, Raven. Maybe next time you should think a little more carefully about who you follow around at night. Maybe next time you shouldn't get so close to a beast."

If there _was _a next time. Raven shoved her hand into her pocket, pressing the panic button on her communicator. It would trigger a distress signal at the main tower, and her friends would come find her. She just had to keep Adonis occupied until then, and away from everyone else. "Not here, Adonis. Please."

Adonis chuckled, tapping his fingers on the table. "Look, a demon that cares about _people_… how fascinating. I was unaware you had such emotions, Raven."

"More than a beast." Raven gritted her teeth and glared at him.

"Am I supposed to be insulted by that?" He met her eyes with his own, steely stare, frowning. "I have no emotions. They only bog down my purpose."

"And that is?"

"My claiming of you, of course." He took a long drink of his coffee and smiled, his cold stare melting into false pleasure. "You are so easy to read, Raven. You are so desperate in your quest for answers that you forget that I am dangerous. Perhaps my host isn't the most intelligent of creatures, but I can always gain control of his body. And you, foolish demon, played right into my hands, of course. Like a child."

Raven swallowed and forced herself to stare into his eyes. She wouldn't let him bully her like this. "Is it true?"

"Is what true? Oh!" Adonis looked surprised for a moment before sipping on his coffee again. "The memory exchange? Yes. It is. What my host told you was in fact the truth, and will explain the missing memory. But, I won't need to steal your memories, Raven." He gave her a smug smile and motioned to the seat across from him. "Sit down, won't you? I would hate to have you miss out on the best parts of the conversation."

"Is that so?" Raven slowly returned to the seat across from him, knowing full well that there would have been serious injuries if she tried to get any farther away from him. A woman behind him chattered into her cell phone, unaware the of the unsheathed claws at her back. Raven put her hands on the table and watched Adonis remove his hand from the woman's back, keeping one less person away from danger.

"See? All you have to do is play by my rules, and you'll find that it's not so bad being with me."

"I beg to differ." Raven's lips twitched, but she gave no other indication of her emotions. She wouldn't let him have the upper hand. "And, why won't you need to steal my memories?"

"Because you are going to be my mate."

"And what makes you think like that?"

"What makes you think I _won't_ claim you? Beast Boy has had four years to claim you, four years to make his move, and yet you have resisted him at every turn. He has made no effort to force you, made no other excuse to claim you, and for all intents and purposes, he has retreated." He chuckled as if he had won a high stakes poker game. "Clearly, if you were going to mate with him, you would have. Yet you didn't. He stayed away from you and you stayed away from him. A stalemate. And so, since there is no definitive winner, I will stake my claim on you. That's simply how this works." He looked at her over the rim of his coffee cup, still smiling. "Oh, and if you don't want these patrons to be violently murdered right before your eyes, you will let me claim you."

"No." Raven felt like the breath had been stolen from her lungs. What had she _done_? This was all her fault. If she had just turned around and left when she had the chance, none of this would have happened, and these people wouldn't be in danger. She was an idiot. "No. Don't hurt them. They didn't do anything. All you want is me, leave them alone."

He put his coffee cup down and continued to smile at her. "You are right, all I want is you. No one has to be hurt here if you make the right decision. You can see the predicament you are in, Raven. Your life for twenty three." The door opened and another person walked inside, waving at a friend. The beast looked back at Raven. "Ah, twenty four. It's an easy decision by your standards. All that unnecessary heroic business and whatnot."

"I won't let you do this."

"_Let me_?" There was a long, heavy pause between them and Adonis moved to look around the room, his eyes like a hawk's searching for prey. "Oh. Look at that little boy by the counter. He looks almost sweet enjoying his hot chocolate, don't you think? Little legs aren't even big enough to touch the ground. How _prescious_." He turned and caught her eyes, teeth glittering like fangs. "Will our litter be that sweet I wonder? That adorable?"

Raven's hands were shaking and she hid them under the table. Where were her friends. "Don't do this. _Please_."

His eyebrows shot up, surprised at her reaction. "You're actually _pleading_ with me. I'm shocked. The answer is still no, but I appreciate your efforts. Although, the sorrowful look isn't a nice expression for your face. No, Raven, I'm afraid the only way to win this battle is to lie on your back and let me rut with you."

"No. Stop this."

"No. _You_ stop this. You're the only one who has the ability to save these people's lives, and you know what you have to do." He took one more sip of his coffee and stood up, offering his hand to her. "Shall we go then? I may be a beast, but I will at least make your first time special. I'll play to that pathetic human side of you and make some attempt at romance."

"No." Raven took a deep breath and stilled her heart, listening to the emotions raging inside her. Everything was fighting against her, but she would not let him win this. She was a demon. She was a Titan. She was powerful. She refused to be bullied around by _Adonis_ and his beast. It wasn't going to happen, and she would show him who was _pathetic_. Raven reached out with her powers, black energy wrapping around his wrists like a vice.

He seemed shocked for a moment before he laughed and pushed forward, resisting the pull of her magic."It is not a game, little demon. You cannot contain me."

It happened so fast, Raven wasn't even sure she saw it at all. His hands twisted and his body moved. With just a few, short movements, he had escaped her magical binds and moved across the room, claws outstretched as he reached for the child. Everyone reacted at the same time. Screams pierced the soft jazz and quiet conversation as people realized what was happening. Raven moved, pushing the child out of the way, just in time. Adonis's claws sunk into her left shoulder and Raven howled in pain. Her blood dotted the floor as she growled up at him, pushing against the claws in her shoulder.

She snarled into his face, her eyes glowing red with power. "I won't let you hurt them!"

"That is not your decision anymore!"

"It will _always_ be my decision!"

"Raven!"

She looked over to see Robin's shocked face, surrounded by the equally shocked faces of her friends. Beast Boy opened his mouth to say something, but she pushed him off. "I'm fine! Just, hurry and get everyone out of here!" She pushed the small child in the direction of Robin, seeing the look of horror in his eyes. He stumbled through the debris, and Raven realized that this child might have turned out a victim if she hadn't moved as fast as she did.

"Hurry!"

Patrons flooded towards the exit as each of her friends tried to get them out of the café. It was madness, twenty four different feelings and emotions scraped and cawed at her, both feeding her powers and threatening to break her resolve. Raven's head pounded, but she didn't drop her eye contact with Adonis. She would not let him bully her.

He growled, crouching low as if he were going to pounce. He claws scraped along the tile floor, gouging marks in the porcelain. He snarled at her again, fur rippling along his skin as his beastly form pushed through. "You called them."

Raven stood her ground and gathered energy within her. "You gave me no choice."

"You _have_ no choice!" Adonis uncoiled his muscles and sprung forward, his body connecting with hers and throwing them both through a pastry case. Glass shattered around them, slicing into Raven's skin and embedding into the raw claw marks on her shoulder. She cried out as darkness invaded her vision for a second, and she felt her body go into defense-mode before she had a chance to stop it. Energy crackled around her, splintering from her body and crashing into the nearest object.

"You will not escape me this time!" Adonis slammed him foot into her thigh, pinning her against the shattered glass. Raven's body cied out in pain, her powers becoming even more violent and unpredictable. Adonis dodged a metal coffee pot and he fell on top of her, clawing at the bloodied rags of her clothing and tearing them from her body. "Fight all you want, Raven, but I will not give you up. You're mine. You're _mine_!"

"Get away from her!" Beast Boy snarled and charged forward, his body transforming into a rhinoceros. Animal connected with human body and they tumbled through the bar area and into the espresso machine. Boiling hot water hissed from the pipes, spilling onto both the rhinoceros and Adonis. They both howled in pain and Adonis retreated even further away, into the small kitchen. Beast Boy stood up, his body transforming again, and chased after him. Only this time, it was the beast.

"Raven."

Raven pushed the hand off her shoulder, wincing as new wounds were opened with her movement. "Get me up."

"Raven, we need to get you to a hospital."

She opened her eyes and looked into the blurry faces of her friends, her head swimming with pain. She must have had a concussion too. Great. "No. No, I need to get up. I need to get to Beast Boy." She tugged at Starfire's wrist, hoping that there really wasn't three of her. "Get me up, Star. _Please_. You know I have to be next to him."

She glanced at Robin, who gave a curt nod of acceptance, albeit with some reservation. "Okay. I will help you." Starfire wrapped her arms around Raven and pulled her gingerly to her feet. She bit back a cry of pain and wrapped her arms around her neck, stumbling through the wood and glass shards to the small kitchen. Walls were shattered and metal was bent as the two beasts circled each other in the wreckage. They hissed and spit like cobras, each trying to defend and claim the territory that was Raven.

"Enough!" Raven placed her feet on the ground, grasping onto the countertop for balance. Her head might still be swimming, but things were looking a little better now, at least there were only two of Starfire. She cleared her throat and called out for both of them. "Stop this at once! Adonis! You are out-numbered. Give up."

"I have worked too hard to let you go." He glanced between all of them, still growling. His fingers curled into a metal prep table, puncturing the steel. He was trying to keep conversation going, trying to find an escape route. "Is that what you think, Raven? That I am simply going to give up?"

"Yes." Robin appeared at the back door, his bo staff in hand. He moved into position, being careful to choose the right moment to strike his opponent. "We have more than enough evidence to lock you back in jail, Adonis. And you've done more than enough damage to give us just cause."

Adonis laughed, as if this were all a game to him. "Silly, stupid bird. Do you think you can control me like you do Beast Boy? I am not an animal that can be caged, and I am not to be trifled with. I will get what I want. Raven is _my mate_ and I will have her no matter the costs."

Robin's fingers tightened on his weapon, readying for an attack. "We'll see."

Adonis moved again, but it was towards Raven. He lunged his body forward, wrapping his arms around her middle and throwing her down to the ground. Her head connected with the tile beneath her head and she screamed again, energy escaping in a magnificent burst of power. But this time, Raven saw nothing at all as aftershocks of pain rippled through her body.

She heard the crash of glass, the obscenities in both English and Tameranean, and then there was silence.

Cool, dark silence.

"… let me bandage her."

"Beast Boy, I'm not sure that's a good idea."

So much for silence.

Cyborg snorted. "Yeah. Do you remember the field dressing you gave Star during training two months ago? She looked like a mummy, and if it had been a real wound, it would have gotten infected." He shuffled closer to Raven. "No, I'll do it."

"Come on, I've been working on it since then!" Beast Boy groaned. "I promise that it'll be dressed properly. I know my dressings are looking better. Just trust me."

"That's asking a lot."

"Come on, guys… It's not like I don't _want_ you to help her too. I just _can't_. Whenever she's hurt, I have to protect her. Even if that means something like bandaging her wounds." He sighed, and Raven could hear the frustration in his voice. "You just have to trust me, okay?"

There was a long pause and Raven could feel the emotions weave through the room, pushing against her senses. Tension threaded through everyone so tight, that it felt like something would snap any moment. All of her friends must have known the secret by now, and it was undoubtedly hard for them to understand exactly what was inside Beast Boy. The only thing they saw were the beasts that attacked earlier, and the show of dominance they displayed. To them, it looked like nothing more than utter chaos, and they had no idea how to begin to trust or understand their friend.

Raven just prayed that this didn't blow up in their faces.

"We'll try to trust you, Beast Boy..." Robin's voice was tentative, as if he were both holding back anger and trying not to upset Beast Boy at the same time. "But what we saw between the two of you today..." His voice trailed off, and Raven could hear the unspoken warning in his voice. If Beast Boy was unable to control the beast inside him, then the rest of the team would have to take action.

"I..." Beast Boy's pain pushed against her, stirring up emotions Raven didn't know she had. This wasn't his fault, and she knew that. So, why couldn't the others see that? He was trying the best he could to keep the beast under control, but when Raven went walking right into the arms of danger, the beast reacted. He was just trying to protect his mate.

"I know what you have to do." Beast Boy's voice was so soft it almost disappeared into the thick silence in the room. "I know that if this thing becomes uncontrollable, you're going to have to react, and I don't blame you for that."

There was awkward shuffling, as if no one wanted to look that scenario in the eyes. This had to stop, Raven couldn't let this continue between her friends any longer. She opened her eyes and looked over at her friends, breaking the silence between them.

"How did this happen to me _twice _today?" She offered what was an undoubtedly broken smile. "_Twice_. Am I just that lucky?"

"Raven!" Beast Boy stepped next to her and wove his fingers between her own. Heat coursed between them, but he seemed oblivious to it. "You're awake. Are you hurt? Are you okay?"

"Yeah. After blacking out… for the _second time_ today. Other than that, I'm fine." Raven pushed herself into a sitting position, feeling a bit woozy. She looked down at their hands and pulled hers away, feeling her face get red. "If we don't figure out how to stop this nonsense, then I am going to suffer _serious_ and real brain damage." She glanced up at all her friends, expression blank. "Thanks, by the way."

"After you wandered off into the company of _Adonis_? You're thanking us for saving your ass from a problem that never should have happened in the first place." Robin sighed, running a hand down his face and staring at the ceiling. "You know, I thought about all the ways I was going to have to scold you and reprimand you the moment you woke up, but I can't think of any right now. None at all."

"Thanks, _Mom_."

"Oh, don't worry, I'm sure they'll all come back to me when you're feeling better. Then I can stand here and scold you all I want." He sighed and shook his head, muttering under his breath. "Anyway, your wounds need to be looked at and bandaged."

Raven rolled her eyes and looked over her wounds. They were deep but already starting to heal. Although, she did have to admit that her shoulder was _killing _her, right where Adonis's claws sliced through her skin. "They'll heal in a few days. They don't need to be dressed. I'm a demon, remember? I think I can handle a few scrapes and bruises."

"Huh… clearly you didn't see your shoulder. I spent an hour picking glass out of your skin, Rae, and it doesn't look like it's going to start healing any time soon." Cyborg crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at her, eyes steely. "That beast _clawed_ into you. No offense, BB, but you two are killing machines."

"Don't lump me in with that lowlife." Beast Boy growled low in his throat and looked ashamed for a moment, but pushed it off when he locked eyes with Raven. It was almost as if he was trying to keep it together just for her. "Whatever. As long as Raven is safe, that's all that matters." He picked up the gauze and pushed everyone out of the infirmary. "Just go. I'll dress Raven's wounds, and we'll all talk later. We can figure this out when I'm not high on adrenaline and Raven has full use of all her brain cells."

Robin opened his mouth to say something else, but shut it again. It was better not to argue with him right now, not when Beast Boy was still riding the high of the beast. "Whatever, Beast Boy. Just… just talk to us when you're both better." He motioned for the others to follow and they left the infirmary together, leaving a cloud of confusion and questions in their wake.

Beast Boy ignored the emotions and grabbed the gauze again. He locked eyes with Raven before moving to her side, focused on the nasty wound on her shoulder. After a few, quiet moments of inspection, he tugged at the remains of her clothing, pulling them off of her in pieces and leaving her half naked in her bra.

Color flooded her face and Raven swallowed, looking away. She knew he was only concrened for her health and safty, so why did this suddenly feel so intimate? She started sputtering off any excuse she could think of to get him to pull away from her. "You know, I can heal myself. It's not like you _have_ to do this. That wound isn't _that_ deep. I can take care of myself."

He looked up at her, frowning. "Your wound is still bleeding and it's cut almost down to the bone. Just humor me, okay?"

Raven shifted, but still couldn't meet his eyes. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. I can call Star back in and she can do this."

"No. I can't _handle_ another person touching you right now, it just reminds me of my own failure that I couldn't protect you. Just... trust me. Please." There was a long stretch of silence between them as he inspected her injury, still avoiding the uncomfortable situation. "Besides, I'm an _adult_, Raven. I think I can handle you in your underwear."

"I'm not worried about _you_." His eyes met hers finally and she blushed under his shocked stare. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

"Yes, you did. You think that because you're half naked my beast is going to come out and attack you... like Adonis would." There was honest pain in his voice and it made Raven recoil a little. Once again, she was reminded that this was not a fate he wanted or even understood. "This is going to sting a little." He pressed antiseptic into the wound, making Raven hiss and wince with pain.

"A little?" Raven pushed his hand off her shoulder, glaring. "It's like pouring acid on my face. Jeez."

"Serves you right anyway." Beast Boy returned her glare. Whatever desire he had to protect her had vanished, leaving something angry and violent in its wake. "What in the world were you thinking? Did you _have_ to go running out and find _Adonis_?" He cursed under his breath and returned his attention to the bandage, yanking the cloth around her shoulder with enough force to make Raven groan. "Damnit, Raven. I turn away for thirty seconds and you chase after him? Like he's going to fix all your problems because he's different?"

"That's not why I followed him!"

"It doesn't matter _why._ You chased after him, what am I supposed to think?" He sniffed her hair and gagged. "And you _smell_ like him… and strawberry frosting. Disgusting."

"It's not like I want to smell like him." Raven looked up at him and growled, her good arm reaching to pull the frosting out of her hair. It must have gotten stuck when she fell through the pastry case. "That grosses me out too. I know you think it doesn't matter, but I only chased after him because _he_ was answering questions. Unlike you, who wants to keep everything in the dark."

"I gave you answers!"

"You _tried _to give me answers, but you only left me with more questions." Raven stared at him before rolling her eyes and looking away. He didn't have to be such a bastard about the whole situation, he was only making it worse for her. "And, you didn't tell me that the beast could steal my memories. Thanks, by the way. I wish I would have known that a week ago."

"Wait. What?" Beast Boy looked genuinely shocked and he pulled back a little, frowning. "I didn't know. I mean, I _never _knew." There was a long pause as he searched her eyes. "Are you missing a memory, Raven?"

"One." Raven blushed and looked away. She was half-naked in the infirmary, Beast Boy was attempting to dress her wound, talking about a potentially intimate memory that she wanted back. Raven didn't think this could get any more awkward if every god or goddess in the universe intervened. "At least… I think it's only one. I think it's you and me and… I don't remember. We were on the roof, maybe… but we're always on the roof."

"The roof…" He leaned back on his heels and thought. Raven breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't judging her or making inferences about the insane idea that she was missing a memory (and let's face it, it's a pretty strange idea). He listened to her fears and her problems and genuinely wanted to help her. That was one good thing about him at least.

"Well, _yeah_ we're always on the roof…" He snapped his fingers. "But there was one time… Oh, never mind. It's not worth it." Beast Boy's face fell, and his eyes went wide with fear. He ignored whatever realization he had and went back to wrapping her wound.

"Wait." Raven's hand wrapped around his and she pulled him closer. He _knew. _"You know what memory it is don't you? What happened? On the roof?"

"Yes..." He trailed off, trying to reclaim his hand. "But, you made me promise never to think about it ever again."

"Well, can I take back whatever I said? I'm sorry if it hurt you, but I need to know what memory I'm missing." There was a long pause and Raven looked up at him, trying to look cute and pleading. It was a look Starfire used whenever she wanted to get her way with Robin. Raven, however, probably looked like a corpse waiting for a kiss, but she was trying something at least. "Please? I can't remember anything.

Beast Boy sighed. "Fine, but you have to promise not to kill me if this is a trick. Okay?" Raven nodded. "We fell asleep on the roof together. It was last year, right after the security systems failed at Jump Pen. Remember, we spent seventy two hours straight trying to round up all the missing criminals. I don't think we slept for days… and then, when everyone was back in their cell, you came and sat on the roof and watched the stars. I came up and talked to you for a second, but you were exhausted. You curled up in my arms like a child, and slept with me until morning…" His eyebrows knitted together and he stared at her for a long moment. "You really don't remember that? You were so embarrassed, you made me promise that if I told anyone, you were going to sever my soul from my body and hide it in the lowest circle of hell."

"Well, that certainly sounds like a threat of mine." Raven looked up at him with a pleading expression. "How did I forget that?"

Beast Boy smiled, trying to look reassuring, but Raven could see the doubt shimmering in his eyes. He reached out and wrapped an arm around her side, pulling her closer to him. Warmth flooded her body again, and Raven fought the strangest desire to bury her face into his neck. What was wrong with her? She never had feelings like this, let alone with _Beast Boy._ Raven pushed his arms off of her, keeping her face expressionless.

"It can't be what Adonis says it is." Beast Boy went back to wrapping her wound. "I highly doubt the beast would want to steal a memory from you."

"Why not?" Raven looked over at him, watching as he focused on her dressing. "Adonis had a valid point."

"Oh?" He snorted. "And what point is that?"

"That your beast cannot have any memories of its own. So, it has to steal mine."

Beast Boy blanched and met her eyes. "_What_?"

"I mean…" Raven chewed on her lower lip and stared into the space in front of her, thinking. "It makes sense. The beast is a parasite, with no physical body to create memories, so if it had the opportunity to steal a memory from me…" She drifted off, leaving enough space for Beast Boy to make inferances on his own.

"Even if that's true, and I'm not saying it is, when would it have even _had_ the opportunity, Raven?" He leaned back on his heels and watched her for a moment, trying to decipher her emotions. She could see he was trying to ignore the very real possibility that Adonis might have been right. "It's not like you go walking around in my mind all that much. He wouldn't exactly have access to your memories otherwise, right?"

"Last week, when I had to calm you down…" Raven looked away, feeling suddenly sheepish. She knew, logically, that she shouldn't be ashamed, after all it wasn't her fault, but that didn't stop her from feeling that way. "I didn't want to tell you, because I thought you would get upset, but… the beast attacked me when I entered your mind last week. He said he required payment for my intrusion." Raven shivered. "He ripped me apart and looked for a memory. He took that one."

"Raven…" His skin was pale and he had to sit next to her on the hospital bed. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"You were so upset over what happened last week." Raven tucked her hair behind her ears, still avoiding his stare. Why did he have to sit next to her? He wasn't making this conversation any easier with his proximity. "I didn't want to burden you with anything else. It wasn't your fault that it happened, but I knew you would blame yourself."

"Raven…" He sighed and leaned his forehead against hers, looking into her eyes. There was a moment of warmth between them and Raven wanted to hold onto it. He touched her hand with his. "What can I do to fix this?"

Raven swallowed and met his gaze. "Let me into your dreams tonight."

The change was instant, and whatever warmth had been building between them quickly vanished. Beast Boy recoiled so fast he knocked over a crash cart in the process. "_What_?"

"Let me into your dreams. Please." She looked at him, her eyes almost fevered. She knew she was asking a lot of him, especially after her rather rocky history with dreamwalking, but it was the only way she could get her memory back. It was her memory, she had every right to have it back. "Adonis said I could see the memory if the beast relives it, which would be when your mind is at rest or asleep. So, let me dreamwalk. I just want my memory back. I promise that's all I'll see."

"Regardless of what you _might _see, let me make you ponder this for a moment: you want me to trust something _Adonis _told you? Hell. No." He frowned and glared at her. "In fact, _double hell no_. There is no way that I am letting you even close to my dreams if that was something _he_ recommended. So, the answer is no, and you can drop the subject right now."

Raven returned his glare, anger and resentment building inside her. He was right to be wary of Adonis's advice, but Raven was at such a loss. She was missing a piece of her past, and she had no idea how to get it back. Except for trusting the ideas of another beast. "I know it doesn't seem right, Beast Boy. I _know. _But his ideas have real, valid merit. It makes perfect sense that the beast would try to keep memories to himself if he was unable to create his own. And..." She was desperately searching for another excuse. "And, you've let me dreamwalk before."

"I let you _once_ when I was having nightmares about Tara." He growled at her, crossing his arms over his chest. "And you know what, my nightmares got worse. I am _not_ having you dreamwalk again. And I _still_ do not trust anything Adonis told you, no matter if it has real, valid merit. Jeez, Rae. I thought you had more sense than that."

Raven didn't want to admit that the first time she had ever dreamwalked had been with Beast Boy, and she didn't realize her feelings for both him and Tara would get in the way of her mission. To sum it all up: the emotions of the walker could easily affect the emotions of the dreamer. So yes, she did screw him up a little, but it wasn't entirely her fault. Besides, she had learned her lesson: check all emotional baggage at the door. "Please. Beast Boy, I want my memory back."

"Fine. Then I can go lay on the roof and you can crawl into my lap and sleep, and we can reenact the memory. But, you are _not_ getting into my head again."

"That's not the same. I want my memory! It's mine, and you took it from me!" Energy sparked and crackled around them, and Raven glared. She felt almost crazy with her need. A part of her and her experiences were missing and she wasn't allowed to have them back. She knew she was acting half-way insane, but she didn't know how to stop it. "Let me at least see it."

"No, Raven." Beast Boy sighed and took a step away from her, putting space between them. "Besides the whole Adonis-told-you-this-information thing, which you happen to keep forgetting about, what if you see something different? Or what if you see something private? You and I are great friends, but that doesn't mean I want you poking around in my dreams."

Raven snarled at him. "Like _what?_ What could you possibly have that I haven't already seen?"

"Like a fantasy?" He kept his face devoid of emotion and looked into her eyes. "My beast might not want to see your memory all the time. It might want to see something else, something I created."

Her anger flared and the crash cart took another hit. "Like rolling around the sheets with a redhead?" Beast Boy glared at her. Raven felt her eyes widen with shock and she pulled away from him. Where had that come from?

"Excuse me?"

"I…" Raven swallowed hard and tried to save her face. "I know you have a thing for Star. And maybe you're right, maybe I don't want to see that. That's your private memory. But what if you do see my memory tonight? I want to see it too."

"N. O. Forget about it." He turned on his heel and walked away. "If you're not going to drop this, then you can dress your own wound."

"_Fine_." Raven cursed under her breath and looked away. "If you don't think I can handle your gross fantasies about Starfire, then you don't know me."

His eyes met hers, and in the smoldering anger, Raven could see something different shine behind them. Something she didn't have a name for.

"What if my fantasies aren't about Starfire?" He let that hang between them, before he walked through the door, closing it behind him. Raven stared at the space where he stood, feeling like he had left her with more questions than ever before.

)O(

_I know that last scene moved a little fast and was a little scattered. But I was having a hard time keeping the pace up to what I needed it to be. Anyway, please let me know what you think. Thanks again for reading!_


	6. Chapter Five

**To Claim and Possess  
**Chapter Five

)O(

A small part of Raven was actually quite proud of herself. Three whole days had passed since the incident at the café and Raven hadn't once had to interact with Beast Boy on a vocal or physical level. She had somehow managed to magically avoid any contact that included him. Even on the two missions and three alerts they received in those three days, she had stayed back at the tower and worked as technical support. Robin let her stay because her shoulder hadn't quite healed yet, and Raven was more than happy to oblige that request. Anything she could do to avoid being anywhere nearBeast Boy.

However, if she sat down and really thought about it, there was a part of her that realized that avoiding her teammate and friend was incredibly childish and could result in destroyed relationships. But, what other options did she _have_? She was still angry at Beast Boy for his refusal to let her dreamwalk, and he was still mad at her for following Adonis and trusting him. Actually, most of her team was pretty mad about that. Starfire included. Not that she could blame them, it was a rash and stupid decision to follow _Adonis_ anywhere. All in all, Raven had had a week of stupid decisions.

And so, here she sat in the living room, alone on a Saturday night, brooding.

"You're _sure_ you don't want to come out with us?" Robin stood behind her, his strong emotions rattling her tranquility. "We don't _have_ to go to the club. We can do something else, you know. Like a quiet dinner or maybe a poetry reading."

Raven made a face. Why did everyone assume she liked poetry? "I just want to stay home."

And, she was still kind of irritated with Robin too. True to his word, the moment Raven was well enough to stand on her own, he had lectured her for two hours strait. All the normal, expected bullshit about how she made a stupid decision (she knew that), she should have called backup sooner (she knew that too), what was she thinking (she _didn't _know that), why did she trust Adonis (no clue there either), etcetera. He talked so long that Raven actually got up and walked away mid-lecture, instead of feigning humility and listening to his words. She just couldn't find any more fucks to give. Things had been tense between them sense. At least Starfire had been somewhat successful in calming him down enough so that he didn't blow a blood vessel any time he talked to Raven.

"Beast Boy is even going out."

Something in her jaw ticked and she turned around to face Robin, barely giving his attire a second glance. Whatever they decided to do, he was dressed to the nines. "Good for him. Tell him he can stay out all night and never come home. See if I care."

Robin sighed and leaned back on his heels, crossing his arms over his chest. "What is going on between the two of you…" He let the question drift off and winced, knowing his mistake immediately. He knew _exactly _what was going on between the two of them. In fact, he knew all the facts even before Raven even did. He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "Sorry, I _know_ what is happening between you two, and that was a stupid and insensitive comment."

"Yes." Her eyes darkened and she looked away. "It was."

"Look, Raven, I know that it's not easy having to deal with what you two deal with, and I can't say that I completely understand what is going on, hell I barely get the gist of it… but avoiding him isn't making things any better. You're both just going to avoid the subject until you get mad at each other and something explodes. Literally and figuratively."

"Avoiding him is keeping my sanity in check and things in their normal, molecular compound. So, I would say that avoidance is working pretty well right now." Raven turned on the television to drown out the possibility of Robin wanting to continue the conversation. "Anyway, tell Wally and Roy I say 'hi' and tell Jinx to call me next time she's in town. Sorry I missed them, but I'm too busy being attacked by teammates and beasts and whatnot."

"You don't have to be so damn sarcastic all the time." Robin sighed again and leaned over the back of the sofa, snatching the remote from her hands.

"Yes I do. It's in my contract." Raven stole the remote back from him. She looked up at him and sighed in annoyance. She might be half-demon, but that didn't keep her from the effects of pure, unadulterated "Robin Stare", and right now he was giving her _that_ look. "I am not going, Robin. So, stop asking, and stop looking at me like that."

"They wanted to hang out with _all _of us."

"No, they want to hang out with the _fun_ ones. Namely you and everyone besides me." Raven turned back to the television and watched Robin out of her peripheral vision. "I'm _always_ the odd girl out. That's just something I've accepted. Besides, could you _see_ me in a club? Half of the patrons would be dead before I even walked in the door. Just leave me alone to wallow in tattoo shows and ice cream."

"God." He rolled his eyes and stood up. "You sound like a pregnant woman."

"Ha. Ha. You're _so_ funny." Raven rolled her eyes too and started channel surfing. "At least tell everyone I say 'hi', okay?"

"They're your friends too. Why don't you just come out and say 'hi' yourself?"

"We just _had _this conversation. Because Beast Boy is going, and I am not seeing him. At all." Raven turned and glared at Robin. "Besides, Roy's going to need a wingman and Cyborg comes off as a little too scary. Someone slightly less scary is going to have to jump into the mix and since you and Wally are taken, I guess it's going to have to be Beast Boy."

"That is the dumbest excuse I've ever heard from you, Raven."

"Well, I'm annoyed and fresh out of snappy comebacks." She heard the walls start to bow with the force of her emotions. Robin had to keep pushing her until she snapped. Why couldn't he just accept that she wasn't ever going to socialize with Beast Boy ever again? All she wanted was to be left alone. "Now, will you _please_ just let me sit here with my ice cream and watch tattoo shows?"

"Just leave her alone."

Raven turned around and saw Beast Boy in the door way, watching her. He was dressed in a nice button-down shirt and a pair of jeans, looking like he stepped out of a cologne advertisement. Well, if that advertisement was geared toward superheroes. There wasn't a whole lot he could do about the shade of his skin. Still, that didn't detract from his good looks. Raven's lips pressed together, but she managed to keep her emotions in check. Now was not the time to start thinking Beast Boy looked attractive. She was still mad at him. "Well, it's nice to know you haven't died."

There was a long pause and he genuinely seemed shocked before he managed to respond to her. "Nice to know you haven't gone waltzing in my dreams without my permission." He sneered at her, showing his teeth in a display of dominance. Raven ignored him and stared straight ahead, keeping him out of her direct line of sight.

"C'mon, dude." He walked into the living room to grab Robin, not bothering to give her a second glance. "Everyone is ready to go and you're holding up the fun. Besides, she's never going to come out, and she'll bring down the whole mood anyway. Just leave her here so she can sulk alone."

Okay, _that _hurt. Raven turned and glared at him. "_Thanks_. Nice to know you still care about me."

"It's nice to know you still throw around random accusations." His insult hit a little too close to home and she looked away again, her face burning red. _He_ was the one who told her about his stupid crush on Starfire. Beast Boy waved good-bye and started for the door. "See ya tomorrow, Rae."

"Tomorrow?" Her stomach dropped and she stared at him, her mood changing instantly. What in the world did _that_ mean?

"Sure. I don't plan on coming home tonight." He shoved his hands in his pockets, still glaring at her. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Nope." Raven felt her eye twitch as she stared at the television screen, pretending to be interested in the sassy tattoo artist. In truth, she couldn't tell if his words had weight or not, and something about the mystery enraged her. She kept her face blank and stared forward, but behind her she could hear something electrical pop and sizzle with the force of her emotions "It's your life, do what you want with it. Just don't expect me to care."

"Fine. I wasn't asking for your approval anyway." He turned and left, leaving a confused and frustrated Robin staring at Raven.

"What was that?"

"That was Beast Boy basically telling me he was going to play Don Juan tonight." Raven reached for the pint of ice cream on the coffee table. "Why should I care?"

"Raven…" Robin's voice was laced with both shock and irritation. "Beast Boy chose you as his _mate_… and while I won't even pretend to understand everything that means, I'm going to insinuate that it means he _shouldn't_ play Don Juan _ever_. And yet you're just letting him go."

"I was choice of convenience. I wasn't chosen as a mate because he loves me or anything. I was chosen simply because I was _there._" Raven shoved a spoon into the ice cream, feeling her throat tighten with the force of her emotions. What was _wrong _with her? This shouldn't have mattered. "So, he can do whatever he wants. Girls. Boys. Whatever. It's not like I care."

"I think you do."

Raven looked over her shoulder at him, frowning. Sometimes she _really _wished he would just keep his nose out of her business. It wasn't his concern if Beast Boy and her were fighting, all he had to do was run the team. Not get involved in their personal lives and try to play counselor. "Don't you have somewhere _else_ to be? Like out with our friends?"

He sighed in defeat and started for the door. He knew better than to try and talk sense in Raven, especially when electronics and support beams were already seeing the brunt of her powers. "Well, if you change your mind, you know where we'll be. You're more than welcome to come out with us."

"Yeah, _no_." She turned the volume up on the tattoo show and glared at the screen, feeling him leave. That might not have been the most mature response, but Raven felt like everything around her was falling apart and changing. She felt like she was losing control of everything in her life, including herself, and the only way she felt some semblance of control was when she was fighting with someone. Raven sighed and leaned her head back against the sofa, staring at the ceiling.

How could Beast Boy _act _like that? He was being a total jerk, and for what?

Raven winced inwardly, knowing the answer to that question before it was even asked. She had pushed him too far. But, it wasn't entirely her fault. After all, he was the one refusing to let her into his mind and let her find the memory she was missing. He was the one leaving her with gaping holes in her memory and herself, which made her feel completely confused and distraught. All of that was because he wouldn't let her have the freedom she needed. If he had just given her access to his dreams, like she wanted, they wouldn't be in this mess.

But… if she was _really_ honest with herself… maybe it was her fault. If she had stopped and thought about Beast Boy's feelings, maybe she wouldn't have reacted the way she did. She was so desperate to find answers, and so caught up in the fear that she might actually have lost a piece of herself, that she didn't even think about _his_ feelings in the process. He had every right to fear her and her powers, and pushing at him just to achieve a goal was selfish and stupid. But Raven was only concerned with getting her memories back, not worrying about Beast Boy.

And he was the one that pointed out the possibility that Adonis might have been using her.  
It really annoyed her when he might have been right.

"But that doesn't mean he has to go out and find some slut to sleep with…" Raven gritted her teeth and glared at the sassy tattoo artist on the television screen, yelling at one of her interns.

Why did she feel so sick to her stomach? Raven fell over on the sofa, her shoulder sinking into the cushions. It was _his life_, she shouldn't care what he did with it. If he wanted to go out and sleep with some girl with loose legs, then that was his prerogative. Raven wasn't his mother or his girlfriend, nor did she want to be. She was just his mate by happenstance, just because his beast chose her.

But, didn't that mean anything to him? Did it even mean anything to her?

"This is stupid." Raven turned off the television and glared at her distorted reflection in the smooth surface. "I shouldn't care what he does with his body or his free time."

_Except that you do_. Some part of her was hurt. He'd basically confessed that his beast had chosen her for his mate, and yet he was off chasing skirts. He should have been sitting next to her, eating ice cream and pointing out imperfections in someone's tattoos. Just like it was two weeks ago, before any of this had happened, but it wasn't. And it felt like the universe was just trying to play games with her head.

"I'm back."

Raven jerked awake at the sound of Beast Boy's voice, wiping at the pillow crease on her face. When had she fallen asleep? She looked at her melted pint of ice cream and turned off the television. Hadn't she already done that? She couldn't even remember closing her eyes. She hadn't been _that _tired, had she? "Forget something?"

"My wallet."

There was a long pause as he hunted through the living room for it. Raven watched him move, blatantly aware of the push and pull of emotions between them. He was still mad, but she couldn't blame him for that. After all, she had been the one to start fighting with him in the first place. She cleared her throat, but when he didn't turn to her, she called out to him. "Hey."

He stopped hunting and looked over at her, frowning. "What? Going to insult me some more?"

Raven bit back a scathing retort and glared. He didn't have to throw that into her face. "I _was_ going to apologize. I didn't mean to…" She trailed off, taking a deep breath and trying to calm her nerves. He had her memory and she had to remember that, or she was going to find herself in even worse trouble, and no way to retrieve it. She watched as he moved closer to her, trying to examine the situation and approach it carefully. They were both volatile, ready to blow up at any second with the wrong choice of words.

"I'm sorry." Raven cleared her throat and started again, looking away from him to calm herself down. "Look, you have every right to be angry with me for suggesting what I did. Really, you do. I understand that this is _Adonis _we're talking about, and I understand the implications of what _could_ happen if something went wrong. But, can you at least try to understand where I am coming from?" She rubbed her forehead, trying to ward off an oncoming headache. "I lost a memory, not to a hit on my head or some psycho villain, I lost a memory to my friend, and all I want is to have it back."

"I understand." He let the words hang between them for a long moment before he responded. "But, you have to understand me. You're asking me to trust what _Adonis_ told you, Raven. _Adonis. _Who has tried to kidnap and… _have his way with you_ on several separate occasions. You can see why I'm not exactly jumping up to trust him."

He sighed and sat next to her on the sofa, clearly no longer interested in searching for his wallet. There was a long pause as he wrung his hands together. "I want to help you, I really do. I can't imagine what it's like being without a memory that might have been important to you, and knowing that your memory is now property of someone else… but I just _can't_ trust what Adonis told you. That's like asking you to trust something Dr. Light told you about me. You're not going to do it, and I won't either… so please, can we find another way?"

Raven rubbed her temples and sighed. "I don't know of another way."

"You haven't even looked." Beast Boy rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back into the sofa. He watched her for a moment. "You've been too busy trying to avoid me than to actually look through all that dusty crap in your bedroom for something. I'm not an idiot, Rae. I know that what's happened between us is straining."

"I _have_ looked." That was a lie. Beast Boy was actually right for once. She _was_ too busy sulking to look for another way to retrieve her memory, and now she was trying to salvage what she could of their friendship because of it. "I just haven't found anything that's promising."

Beast Boy sighed and shook his head, as if he wasn't going to accept that answer. "Raven, come on. There has to be _something_, anything. Some piece of something you read a long time ago. I mean what about all that crap you learned from Malchior? He taught you a lot of things."

She snorted, fighting back memories of demons that were better left in the dark. "Yeah, and we can see how well trusting him turned out for us. I nearly destroyed the tower and killed my friends in the process."

"Good point." His head fell back against the edge of the sofa and he stared at the ceiling, letting the silence weave between them for a few moments. "So, what else is there? I mean… you can't tell me that having sex is the only way to fix this. It _can't _be."

"I don't know." She leaned back into the sofa and stared at the TV. "You can't tell me that having sex with me is going to be the worse possible outcome out of all of this." She glanced over at him before looking back at the TV, realizing how incredibly awkward this conversation was becoming. "Is it really that scary of an idea?"

"Rae…" He sighed and sat upright again, looking into her eyes. There were shadows swimming in their green depths, and Raven suddenly began to wonder when he had become so serious. "You don't want to have sex with me and I don't want to have sex with you. Mostly because we're friends and this whole copulating thing will break us apart."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Did you just use the word 'copulating' correctly? I'm impressed."

"Yes, but that's not the point." He rolled his eyes. "The point is you and I are both concerned with the stress this will put on the team and on our friendship." He paused and looked away, as if he were trying to gather his thoughts. "What we have is special to me. I've never felt much like I had a home, except when I am here with you and the rest of the team. Even the Doom Patrol made me feel like I was an oddity of a soldier… but you… you make me feel like I belong. And, I don't want to mess that up because we thought sex was the answer to fixing a problem."

Raven felt color flood her face and she looked away, suddenly feeling _very _guilty. Through out all of this, she hadn't once really sat down and thought about Beast Boy's feelings or what he had to lose. She was so wrapped up in herself, in getting her memory back, in fighting Adonis, that she had forgotten about him. She had forgotten the stake that he had in this, and if they just jumped at every possible solution in fixing this, then he could really lose everything he had. Her eyes closed shut and she frowned, more at herself than anything else. "I'm sorry… I didn't think…"

"It's okay, Raven." His hand reached out and touched hers, spreading warmth through her fingers and deep into her body. "We'll figure this out. We just have to find another way."

She bit back a groan. "But, I don't know another way."

"You do. You know. You're not trying hard enough."

"What do you mean I'm not trying hard enough?" Raven's eyes finally opened, and she turned to look at him, only to find that the living room had melted away and she was sitting on a log in the middle of a forest. She cursed under her breath and rolled her eyes. Of course it was a dream, there were signs everywhere. Really, there was no way in hell Beast Boy could use the term 'copulating' properly.

"Damnit. Now, what the hell am I doing here?" Raven rolled her eyes and looked around the woods, examining the forest at night. Fog rolled in through the trees and the night was so black and so thick, she was lucky she could see her own hand in front of her face. Beyond the darkness she could hear the cries and howls of the forest's inhabitants, reminding her that she was not welcome here.

"You have again entered my territory without my consent."

The voice was gravely and deep, but she knew it all too well. It was the beast. Swallowing hard, she stood up and moved away from the beast as he approached her slowly. How had she ended up here again? "I didn't mean to come here, it was an accident."

He closed the space between them, and Raven could feel the heat and emotions radiating off of his body. He was the most territorial of all, and he did not want her here in his sacred space. The last time that happened she had been subject to his torture and lost a piece of herself in the process. "Accident or not, this is no place for you, demon. Not now. Not since…" The beast sniffed the air and turned to face her, eyes wild with primal emotions that she didn't have a name for. He pulled back his teeth and snarled at her.

Her heart dropped into her stomach and she took another step back, this time he did not close the space between them. He continued to stare at her, eyes glowing with a feral ferocity that she had never seen in them before.

"You have brought him with you."

Raven swallowed again, trying to keep her emotions in check. "I brought _who_ with me?"

As if answering her question, Adonis's beast pushed through the underbrush leaping forward and attacking her. The beast caught him off guard and slammed him into a fallen tree with a sickening thud. Sculls cracked and claws became unsheathed as territory suddenly became a scarce resource, and Raven was the biggest prize of all. She reached out with her powers, forcing Adonis off of the beast's body, and hurling him into a tree. Splinters of wood rained down from the force but it didn't seem to bother Adonis in the least.

Raven stood her ground and stared at him. "I am not afraid of you!"

He picked up his head and turned to stare at her, blood seeping through the cracks in his teeth. "You should be, little demon. I am what haunts you now."

"Demon, you should not have come here!" The beast limped over to where she stood, and Raven saw that his left arm hung at an unnatural angle. "You should not have brought this abomination into this world!"

"I didn't!" Raven was pulled from her feet as Adonis pushed into her, throwing her to the ground. She screamed and spit and clawed at his face, but nothing seemed to deter him. He was going to conquer her, if it was the _only_ thing he did. Blood and saliva mixed together and dripped from his fur to her face, coating her in his thick essence. She coughed and pushed all of her powers against him, throwing him into the forest floor.

"You must go!" The beast stepped in front of her, shielding her from the dazed Adonis. "Go!"

"And leave you here by yourself?" She stepped around him, readying herself for another attack. "Like hell. We're in this together!"

The beast looked down at her, his gaze filled with a mixture of something resembling fear and admiration. "You are no match for him here, demon. You may be strong out there, but in here you are nothing more than a shell of what you could be. He will consume you, and you _must go_."

"But…" She didn't have time to respond to that. Adonis pushed himself into a standing position and lunched for the beast, howling and snarling. They topped end-over-end through the underbrush, claws outstretched to attack any flesh that flashed into view. The beast pushed Adonis off of him, slamming him into another tree. Adonis howled, and for a moment he was still. But both the beast and Raven knew that it wasn't going to be for much longer.

"Run!" The beast stood and rushed over to her, pushing her back and forcing her deeper into the unknown forest he called home. Raven stumbled over her own feet, as if she was unsure how to use them, but the beast gave her another shove. "Run. I will hold him off as best as I can, but you need to run!"

"Where… how…" She stared at Adonis's beast, watching as his limbs started to move again. It was as if he wouldn't die. He was stronger here, smarter, better. He was completely capable of bringing both her and the beast down. She swallowed and took another step back. "How did he get here?"

The beast turned to her, his eyes dark. "_You_ brought him."

The words struck her like a hot knife. The mark. Adonis had branded her.

Raven swallowed as she remembered the feeling of Adonis's claws sinking into her shoulder as he climbed on top of her body in the coffee shop. Whether the brand was intentional or not, the outcome was the same. She was marked by Adonis, which meant that he had a connection with her. Perhaps not as strong as the connection she had with Beast Boy, but no less dangerous. And he had followed that thin thread of a connection into the sanctuary of the beast. She had brought this disaster upon herself.

"There is no undoing what you have done now, demon." The beast backed up against her, shielding her body as Adonis stirred. "I only ask that you run and save yourself."

"But…" She was a demon, she should have been able to hold him off. This was not the first time she went to battle against Adonis, and it would not be the last. She refused to let two primeval furbags tell her that she was less powerful that she actually was. Raven sent out her powers to pick up the log next to her, readying it as a weapon, but the beast touched her forearm.

"Not here. Not in my territory. This space is mine and it is sacred, and I will not have you defile it." The beast glanced over his shoulder at her, lips pressed into a thin line. "Now, demon, _run_."

Against her better judgment, Raven did as she was told, and she ran deep into the unknown. Pain whipped at her as she pressed through the thick underbrush of the forest, dodging trees and bushes as she searched for something familiar she could cling to. Behind her, she could hear the howls and screams as the two beasts pushed at each other, raking claws against skin, and ripping teeth into flesh. She knew she should have stayed and helped the beast, but staying there would be doing nothing but putting herself in danger.

Tears stung her eyes and she forced herself farther and farther away. She was an idiot. A full-blown idiot. How did this happen? Furthermore, how did she _let_ this happen?

And there it was, standing in front of her: a door.

Not just any door, the door to the roof.

The door into Beast Boy's memory.

"Fuck!" Raven skidded to a halt, just before barreling through the door. She knew what would happen if she opened it. It would lead right into Beast Boy's dreams. The ones she had promised him that she would stay out of. Ice-cold realization spread through her as she listened to the now-faint sounds of Adonis and the beast fighting going on behind her. She wasn't in Beast Boy's head, she was in her own, and Adonis was hunting her down by any means necessary.

"Not the goddamn door!" She slid around the frame and ran deeper into the forest. She refused to walk into Beast Boy's dreams. She promised him that she wouldn't peek, that she wouldn't spy, and she certainly didn't trust herself to _not_ bring Adonis with her. She wasn't even exactly sure how he followed her into her own dreams. Taking a deep breath, she muttered her mantra, trying to keep her powers under control. "I just have to wake up. If I can continue to outrun him until I wake up, I'll be fine. I can do this."

A scream. A cry. A howl. A whine.

Snap.

Silence.

Raven's feet stumbled and she tripped over fallen trees in her path. She lay in the underbrush, listening to the sudden silence in the forest, as if all the life had disappeared into nothingness. The beast. He… Raven felt tears come to her eyes as panic stretched even deeper into her bones, chilling her to the core. What else could Adonis manipulate here if he could destroy the memory of the beast? Raven didn't want to think about that, not now anyway.

She stumbled to her feet limping slightly as she ran deeper into the forest and farther away from the silence that plagued her.

"Run all you want, Raven… I am in no hurry. I can follow your delicious scent all night and even until dawn. Until you wake up, you are mine to do what I please with." The words were soft and muffled, as if they were coming from somewhere deep in the forest. Around her, Raven felt the air change, and she knew he was slowly circling her, like lions did to prey. And in spite of her magical prowess, she knew that there was nothing she could do to stop him, except run deeper into his trap and pray she wasn't eaten alive.

"No," she whispered to herself, forcing her feet to move again. "I will not let you control me. This is my dream, my territory, my home. You will leave me alone!" With those words, the push of underbrush faded away, and she found herself running through the halls of Titan Tower. Behind the walls she could hear music and laughter, as if there was a party going on. It felt safe here, warm and welcoming as it always had. And for a moment, she slowed her pace and took a deep breath. She was safe for now.

"Do not think that just because you are in your own home that I will not find you, Raven."

She had the spectral feeling of his hot, sick dog breath sliding down her neck and she shivered, pushing her back against a wall and staring into nothingness. He was messing with her head. He wasn't there, but he making her believe that he was. Raven cringed as she felt his claws scrape down her arms in some mockery of a caress. Why was he doing this to her?

"You are mine, and I will do with you what I please."

"Like hell." Raven ran again, sliding into the shadows lining the hall. As she moved, she felt the walls slide away, morphing into something else and this time she found herself in the park on a warm, sunny day. Past the empty baseball fields, she could see her friends playing football and laughing. Her heart sputtered to a stop and she stumbled again, searching through the faces as emotions flooded her body. It was a memory of hers, a precious memory, one of the first times that she had remembered that she had a family.

Her pace slowed and she stopped to watch every one, entranced with the detail. And then Beast Boy turned to wave at her, but something wasn't right. She couldn't quite see his goofy, trademark smile… and then she realized why. His face was completely missing.

She screamed and stepped back, away from him. But the memory played on, uninterrupted by her response. Raven searched through the other people in the crowd, hunting for Adonis's familiar face. "What did you do? What did you do to him?"

"He is lesser than me, a disgusting distraction." The voice slid down her neck again, accompanied by his moist breath. "I merely altered your memories to remove the distraction. To make things better for you … don't you see? Your life will still be happy without him. It'll be complete."

She felt claws wrap around her wrists like shackles, but when she looked down, there was nothing there. She pulled at her arms and turned around, glaring at the empty space in front of her. He was hiding in her memories, searching for some way to control her from the background. She refused to let him win, this was her psyche, and she would not have it defiled by this abomination!

"I will not give into you, you monster."

He chuckled, the phantom claws moving up her arms. "I am a _beast_, Raven… not a monster." There was a long, slow pause, as if he was contemplating something. "But I can be a monster if you wish it of me. Or if you do not, it depends on your… _behavior_."

There was a sharp slice of pain across her arm, and Raven looked down to see three small marks against her skin. He was attacking her now. Damnit. She had to get out of here. Raven cursed and spun back around, this time running through the open field, ducking the memories and trying not to look too hard into Beast Boy's faceless body. She didn't want to be reminded of that horror again.

As she raced along the path, she saw it again. There, nested in the side of a tree was the door to the roof. Raven winced, wondering what the repercussions would be if she ran through it. What would she see? Would Adonis follow her? What would happen if she took that chance? Her eyes closed and she turned away, running as far as she could from the door. This was not the time to be thinking about the door. She just had to stay ahead of Adonis until she woke up.

The scenery melted again, and the warm sunshine of a summer day melted into the dank darkness of a warehouse. Boxes were stacked to the ceiling, and all around her was the thick, toxic green goo of Plasmus. Behind the maze of boxes she could hear arguing. It was her and Beast Boy, and they were fighting over something stupid _she_ did.

Wait. She remembered this day too. She'd thrown herself in a terrible situation and almost killed her as she tried to stop Plasmus from making Beast Boy a target. They argued for hours after that battle, and Beast Boy made her promise that she wouldn't try to save him ever again. He was bound and determined to prove that he could save himself. Raven peeked around a few boxes, seeing Beast Boy and her doppelganger arguing.

"You could have gotten yourself killed, Raven!"

"It was an accident." She shrugged, as if his words didn't matter. Raven winced, she had been so stupid then. Beast Boy was trying to protect her and she just pushed him off as if his feelings and concerns didn't matter.

"It wasn't an accident!" He threw his hands in the air, and Raven could see the beast try to push through him as his emotions pushed against him. "You purposefully put yourself in danger to try and save us. To try and save me. That was a _stupid_ move and you know it!"

"What was I supposed to do, Beast Boy?" She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "You would have been squashed if I didn't step in."

His ears fell and his lips pursed, a sure sign that he was _beyond_ angry, he was furious. "Just… be careful, Raven. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

Doppelganger-Raven didn't even have a chance to respond, Beast Boy collapsed in front of her, blood spilling from several, _large_ wounds on his chest. Nothing had attacked him, nothing appeared in front of him. He was simply oozing blood over the floor. He coughed and hacked, reaching out for doppelganger-Raven, but she just continued her side of the conversation, oblivious to his injuries.

"Beast Boy!" Raven screamed and ran towards him, her hand outstretched as she reached for his body. But, he never got closer, he never seemed to be within reach, and Raven was forced to watch him die. Watch as his skin paled and his eyes closed, her name the last thing on his lips.

She screamed again, turning around and looking for Adonis. She found nothing.

He chuckled against her ear. "See, Raven? You let me into your psyche, into your mind and memories… I can control what I want in here. If I wish to sully those beautiful memories you have of your lesser beast, I will. I will make you watch as I let him die an infinite amount of ways."

"No!" Raven cursed and started throwing whatever she could. Magic, boxes, anything that seemed to make sense. But nothing happened, and the image around her faded into the day after her birthday, when Beast Boy insisted that they celebrate the heinous day. He stood in front of her smiling and waving presents, and then he was thrown on the floor, invisible beasts attacking him, pulling at his limbs, drenching the room in blood. His chest was ripped open and his heart was pulled out, thrown to the floor at Raven's feet.

She fell to her knees, screaming as the scenes continued. Blood everywhere, and she was helpless to stop the scenes. Helpless to stop Beast Boy from being violently murdered in front of her. Every precious memory she had was sullied by the images of gore and death. "Stop! Stop!"

"Only you have the power to stop this, Raven." A warm, phantom tongue slid up her neck. "Only you. You know what you have to do to make this stop."

"No!" She looked behind her, searching for anyway to escape this nightmare, and there was the door to the roof. It didn't matter now. She would try anything. Anything she could do to escape him, to escape this hell he was creating for her. Raven ran to the door and pushed it open, running into the sanctuary of Beast Boy's dreams. Serenity washed over her and she took a deep breath, holding it and waiting for this world to be brought down by Adonis. But, nothing happened. She was alone. And she found herself standing on the roof, watching the waves push in and out of the tranquil of the bay.

There, at the edge of rooftop, she saw her memory. The one she missed so dearly. Beast Boy was holding her, whispering things that she couldn't hear as his arms wrapped tightly around her body. She mumbled something in response and buried her face into his shoulder, her body becoming limp and heavy as exhaustion finally took over.

Light seemed to flash within the recesses of her mind as she stared at the beautiful image in front of her. That was her memory. Her favorite one. She remembered now why it was so precious to her, and why she valued it above all other memories. It was the moment that she realized that Beast Boy was more than a friend. The moment that there was something more than teamwork and camaraderie between them, and it was the moment where she realized she wanted a part of that.

Her heart sputtered to a stop and she took a step back, shocked as her emotions and memories started to reweave themselves, like the threads in a loom. This memory was the keystone. The one thread that kept her memories of him together, and reminded her that he was more than just a friend and more than a teammate.

The scene changed. It was a flicker of wind and a soft flash of light.

Wait. This wasn't her memory anymore, it was morphing into something else entirely.

Beast Boy shifted his weight and rolled on top of her, smiling and flashing his fangs. Doppelganger-Raven looked up at him and smiled, reaching out for his body. Raven bit back several curses and stepped back as she realized what was happening. This wasn't her memory anymore, because this was his fantasy. Raven tried to turn away, but she couldn't. She could only stand there, glued to the spot as she watched the perverted scene in front of her.

Behind her she felt warm breath slide down her neck, alerting her to a new presence. "You have entered my territory without my consent, demon."

)O(

_Well… it's been a while, hasn't it? I'm sorry this is the fourth rewrite of this chapter, and it took me forever to get the feeling right. There was a lot of drama in the previous edits and I just didn't want to deal with that again. That's how I got into trouble with _Primeval_. _

_Anyway, let me know what you think. Thanks again for reading!_


	7. Chapter Six

**To Claim and Possess  
**Chapter Six

)O(

Raven gasped and sat up, feeling disoriented and dizzy. The walls seemed to bow and flex, and she could swear the curtains moved on their own and the bookcases crept closer to her, as if they had legs. Groaning, she pressed a hand to her head, trying to take in her surroundings through the darkness that permeated her vision. The furnishings were familiar, the pictures were her own… she was in her room, but she had no memory of how she got there.

"Awake?"

"I think so."

"Good. Drink this."

A glass of water was pushed into her line of sight and she took it without question, gulping the contents down in only a few seconds. Her body wouldn't stop shaking and she spilled some of the water down her cheeks. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw faint reminders of what had happened in her dreams. Blood splashed across pavement, bones cracking like dry kindling, Beast Boy crying out to her, but through it all, she was unable to help. Unable to stop the scenes from playing out, and being forced to watch him die over and over.

Coughing, she pulled the glass away from her lips, gripping it so tight that it threatened to break in her hold.

"Give me that, before you hurt yourself." Phantom fingers wrapped around the empty glass and removed it from her trembling hands.

Silence engulfed her again, and a few more minutes passed before her eyes finally adjusted completely, and her lungs stopped vibrating violently with every breath. At the end of her bed, she managed to see the faint outline of Beast Boy, scowling at her. His eyes locked on to her own, and his expression softened a little, but it did nothing to ease her fears. Swallowing hard, she pulled away from him, waiting for the scene to melt into something terrifying and blood to taint this image.

Moments passed, and the foul images never came, but Raven still couldn't relax. Her muscles stayed bunched and her heart pounded in her ears. Was this a dream or was it reality? How could she tell the difference any more?

"Want to tell me what's going on?"

Raven glanced away before returning to face him, somehow managing to keep her face blank. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I came home to find you passed out on the sofa… you were sweating like a whore in church." He didn't sound accusing or angry, but there was a note of concern and fear threading through his words. "And tossing and turning…" Pause. His hands fidgeted with the empty glass, but his eyes never left her own. "And you were calling out for me."

Raven winced, pushing her sweat-soaked hair from her face. How much had he heard? "Sorry… I was having a nightmare."

His concern deepened. "And I was in it?"

"Yes." Raven saw no reason to lie to him about that.

He put the glass on the floor by his feet and continued to stare at her. "Care to elaborate?"

"No." She would _certainly _keep the details from him though.

"Seriously?" He let a moment of silence hang between them, as if waiting for another response from her. When he received more silence, he continued. "Should I be concerned or something? I mean, you haven't had nightmares in a long time, not since Trigon… are you _sure _you're okay?"

"I'm fine."

His eyes narrowed, obviously seeing through her lies. Sometimes she _really _hated that he had learned to read her. Why couldn't he still be the ditzy, oblivious Beast Boy he always was before? He ran a finger over the back of her arm, wiping perspiration off her skin. "Uh-huh. You're swimming in your own sweat, and you consider that 'fine'?"

"Yes." She looked away before glancing back at him, forcing her lips down into a frown. Now that her head had stopped spinning, her skin had started to vibrate and crawl, as if her soul was going to escape its earthly chains. She pressed a hand to her forehead and mumbled her mantra under her breath, trying to hold on to what little control she had left.

"Anyway, what are you doing in my room? You know you're not allowed unless I'm in here… and _conscious_." She added that as an afterthought.

He rolled his eyes. "Jeez, Rae, I'm not a kid anymore. You can stop treating me like one any time now."

"I am not treating you like a child." She pushed more hair out of her face, ignoring the ringing in her ears. "I am protecting my territory, I thought of all things you would understand _that_." As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. Wincing, she looked away again. There was no reason for her to act like that. This was _her friend_, her _closest_ friend, and she knew what kind of torture he was going through. In fact, she had the unpleasant opportunity to experience it first-hand, so she should have been more understanding and sympathetic. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean that."

"Mm." He nodded, lips twitching in irritation. He looked down at his hands before responding. His eyes met hers again and there was a dark fire she hadn't noticed before. He was angry, but he was trying to keep a hold on it. "_You_ went wandering into my dreams, so I guess I _do _understand why you would be so protective of your own territory."

Raven winced again. It was always a possibility that the dreamer would know of the walker's presence, but Raven had been hoping he missed her. Apparently that was a stupid, useless hope. She cleared her throat and looked at him, face blank. "By accident."

"Accident?"

"I… there was a door, and I wandered through it." She prayed that he couldn't hear the tremble in her voice. "I didn't realize it lead to your dreams until it was too late. I'm sorry."

"Uh-huh…" He crossed his arms over his chest and stared her down, once again seeing through her lies. "And why am I finding this _really _hard to believe? You know better than to go wandering through random doors, Raven… hell, you've _taught_ me that." He dropped his voice low and even, as if trying to imitate her tone. "'You never know where strange doors lead to, stay away from them unless you're sure.'"

Her eyes narrowed, but she made no move to defend herself against his teasing. "So, I wasn't paying attention and I made a mistake. I'm part human, I can make mistakes just like the rest of you." She tried to shrug it off, but his incredulous expression didn't change. "Look, it was the door to the roof and I thought it went…" She trailed off as if something clicked in her head. "Never mind. What are you doing home so early anyway?"

"I was bored." He shrugged and picked at invisible lint on her bedspread. "It's just not as much fun when you're not there."

Raven rolled her eyes. "_I'm_ the boring one, remember?"

"So, joking about clubs, people-watching, and trying to make ridiculous back-stories for the club-goers… that's not fun?"

Okay, she had forgotten about the games they used to play together at clubs to pass the time. It was always a joke to see who could come up with the best back-story for the people there. Beast Boy, she learned at their first team-club-experience, was easily bored with dancing (and also not very good at it), and liked joking around with her. He made some pretty funny back-stories for people.

"I missed having you there to hang out with. You keep me entertained… you know what, never mind. I'm not getting into this." He stopped picking at her bedspread and pointed a finger at her. "Besides, this isn't about me, it's about you. Specifically, _why_ you wandered into my dreams when I explicitly told you _not _to."

"I was distracted and I wasn't paying attention." Raven shrugged, keeping her face blank. She didn't want to tell him what was happening, there was something inside her that knew what would happen to him. He was already wound too tight because of Adonis and the beast by themselves, and Raven could only imagine what his reaction would be when he discovered that Adonis was lurking in the recesses of her psyche. So, she played the whole situation off. It was better that way, well… _safer_ anyhow.

"Besides, I wanted to see what kind trash you found to come home with you from the bar. I thought your dreams might be filled with her." That was a low blow and she knew that, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. Every time she thought about some other girl, she felt vindictive and poisonous. Why was she so mad at him anyway? She took a deep breath and looked away, feigning nonchalance. "You said you weren't coming home, so I assumed you'd find some blonde fangirl with loose legs."

"That's what you think of me? That I'm just going to take home any girl who wants to drop her panties?" It was his turn to roll his eyes. "Raven, I only told you that because you went out of your way to insult me. I got mad and said something I didn't mean." He sighed and pulled his legs up on her bed, moving closer to her. "You should have more faith in me than believing I would take home a random. My self-esteem isn't _that _low."

Raven's face colored. "You weren't going to…" She trailed off.

"Of _course_ not." He sneered. "Do you think I want to smell like cotton candy and cheap vodka? Let alone catch whatever nastiness is clinging to some girl I _don't know_. Jeez, Rae. Seriously, have a little faith in me."

Embarrassment sunk into her as she realized what she had done. She had just assumed that her friend (whom she'd known for almost six years) was a man-slut, because she didn't know how to sort out her own feelings or emotions. She sighed. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean…" She trailed off, holding a hand to her forehead. "This is all my fault."

Beast Boy raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, it is." He reached out and took her hand, his skin cool against her heated body. He ran his thumb over her skin, looking into her eyes. Small electrical shocks speared her arm, and she fought the urge to move closer to him. He smelled faintly of summer rain and bourbon, and something about it made her want to crawl into his arms and fall asleep.

"Raven, _what _is going on? This isn't _you_. You don't fight and bitch and whine, you kick my ass when I do something wrong. You threaten me with bodily harm and incurable curses. You tell me the truth when something is bothering you. Whatever is going on with you now… it's _not _you. I thought we were friends for a reason…"

_Friends_.

The word conjured up images of her naked body pressed against him, crying into the night. What she saw in his fantasy was _not _something _friends_ did. A picture frame shattered across the room, breaking the silence between them. Raven flushed red and she snapped her hand away, tucking it into her lap. "You're right. I always tell you the truth… I trust you and you're always there for me."

"Well, at least you know that." He glanced down at her hand before looking into her face. "So, what is this Raven? I thought we said that we would work through this together. All of it. You. Me." He shuddered. "This whole thing with Adonis… I thought that we planned to help each other no matter what happened."

Her face paled, and her hand instinctively touched her left shoulder, feeling the scars ripple under her touch. She glanced away before looking at him. "You're right." She repeated herself, more to ease her nerves than to admit he was right. "We did. Sort of."

Raven had to admit that the memory of agreeing to work through this bizarre mess was somewhat hazy. Between him confessing that he accidentally marked her and his mock kisses to remind her that sex was more than just a physical act, she was lucky she could remember what room they were in, let alone what was said to each other. Color flooded her face at the memory of his hands on her, and she looked away. That was not something she wanted to think about right now. "That's what this is about. Adonis."

"Adonis?" His pupils dilated and his nostrils flared as he fought something deep and heavy inside him. Raven could feel the air around him twist and congeal, turning into something thick. He stared into her eyes, frowning. "What _about_ Adonis?"

"Well, for starters…" She tugged at the collar of her tee shirt, pulling it down to expose her scarred shoulder. "We have a serious problem. Adonis marked me."

Beast Boy stared at her shoulder before looking back into her face. "He… _what_?"

The force of his emotions was so powerful, that Raven had to pull away before something threatened to explode. He was holding precariously onto his control, and she could feel the beast trying to break free. The overwhelming desire to protect him and her own self flooded her psyche, and it took several long, quiet minutes before she managed to grab hold of sanity again.

Staring at his shaking hands she realized, in a moment of lucid resolve, that this was no longer solely her concern. Beast Boy had as much stake in this as she did. As much as she wanted to alienate herself to protect him, she shouldn't. The beast was lurking inside him, clawing at him, clawing at _her_, and she was tired of running and tired of fighting. His body was host to a metaphysical being that he did not always fully understand, and as his friend (and often his family) she was obligated to help him. Plus, it was the _right_ thing to do, no matter how secret or confusing the emotions and feelings were between them. Raven swallowed whatever concerns were plaguing her, and stared into his eyes.

They were going to fix this _together_.

"It must have happened at the café three days ago. I don't know if he did it on purpose, or if it was an accident, but he marked me. The _same _way that you did." That came out a bit harsher than she had anticipated, and Raven recoiled slightly the force of her own words. "I didn't mean it like that."

"It's… it's okay. It's the truth." He looked away, his breath loud and raucous in the silence of the room. "I marked you like property. You don't deserve this, but I can't do this without you. So, I guess this is _our _problem together, and we'll fix it together…"

"I'm sensing a 'but' to this statement."

"I don't want this to tear us apart."

He said it so plainly that Raven wasn't entirely sure it was his own mouth speaking. He looked into her eyes and she could see his own resolve reflected back at her, but something twisted just out of her reach. Something she wasn't sure she could name or understand.

"Don't be like that. You're supposed to be the happy, positive one in this relationship." She tried to joke, but his blank stare proved (once again) that her jokes were useless on him. She leaned forward, closer to him, and blocked out the surge of emotions he felt at her proximity. "We're friends, Gar… family, basically. We've been through worse and came out fine in the end. You've gone and saved me from the depths of Hell. The least I can do is help you survive yours."

His lips twitched as he fought a smile. "Living with you _is_ my hell."

Raven bit back a snort and raised an eyebrow, trying to keep her face blank. "Likewise."

He reached out and tugged on hair, teasing her. "At least we both admit it." He leaned back against her bed and watched her for a moment, letting the seriousness of the situation slide between them. The ease of their conversation faded away and left them staring into the face of the truth: that they had a huge issue that neither one of them fully understood.

Beast Boy looked at her from hooded eyes and mumbled, "What are we going to do?"

"We're going to figure this out. We're going to succeed. It's what we always do." Raven tried to seem positive, but knew that wasn't necessarily in her nature to be anything resembling "a glass half-full" person. She rubbed her forehead, trying to block of the shadows of memories that clung to her skin. "We've got a team of superheroes to help us, and you've got a half-demon witch on your side. We are not alone. We'll get through it."

He snorted, but the severity in his eyes stayed. "You're surprisingly optimistic for being… _you_."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Thanks for your vote of confidence." She pushed her hair out of her eyes again and watched him stare at the ceiling, debating whether or not she should drop the rest of the bomb concerning Adonis. He deserved to know the truth, but at the same time she knew that he couldn't take much more stress. She could feel the beast clawing at him, fighting to break free from Beast Boy's control, and all of that energy and emotion was taking a toll on his psyche. He was breaking apart from the inside out, and Raven knew he couldn't take much more before he collapsed in on himself.

But even still, she promised herself that she would trust him, and that they would work through this together. Taking a deep breath, she steeled her resolve and looked him in the eyes. "Adonis marking me isn't our only problem."

"Oh, god…" He groaned and threw a hand over his eyes, as if he was trying to block out any more bad news. "What else is there?"

"He must have some kind of link with me." She pushed her covers off of her and stood up, feeling like she was at a disadvantage while she was cocooned in her bed. "A mental link. After I feel asleep, I started to dream, and in my dream I felt him. I didn't see him, but I _felt_ him. He was there, touching me, talking to me, accessing my memories." She shook her head and began to pace the length of her room, feeling Beast Boy's own emotions start to boil under pressure. "He was _there_, Gar. Every time I moved, so did he. He twisted each memory I every had of us into something deplorable. That's why I was having nightmares. He found me in my own dreams and he attacked."

Beast Boy choked on his own air. "Raven…"

She stopped pacing for a moment, trying to offer him a reassuring smile, but knew that it fell flat on her lips. "_That's _the real reason I entered your dreams. I didn't mean to. Really, I didn't, but what was I supposed to _do_? Every precious memory I had he attacked me in. My birthday two years ago. That time I recklessly saved you from Plasmus. Our first cook-out together as a team. _Every_ memory. There wasn't one that he didn't touch and defile."

He stood up. "Raven… why… why didn't you tell me?"

"This is the first time this happened…" She sighed and continued pacing again, feeling her powers try to break free of their own chains. A few books upended themselves and fell open on her floor. She stopped to pick them up before continuing on her path. "I don't know what triggered it tonight, or _why_ he was able to attack me, but he did. And I doubt it will be the last time. He _knew _what memories were special to me, and how to attack them. He will not hesitate to attack again, I know that for sure. What I _don't_ know is what he will do next time."

Beast Boy ran a hand over his face. "We have to fix this."

"I know." Raven took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I _know_… but I'm not even sure _how_ to fix this. He _shouldn't _be able to do this. He _shouldn't _be able to dreamwalk. He's _just_ a creature, just another monster." She saw Beast Boy wince as she said the word, but she couldn't register his pain. The truth was that Adonis _was _a monster. Beast Boy at least had control. "He shouldn't be able to access the memories the way he did. Whatever he is doing, he either has help, or he learned to access _my _powers… which is a whole different debacle that I don't even what to _think_ about, let alone touch upon."

Beast Boy paled. "Access your powers? Can he do that? Can _I _do that?"

"I don't have another explanation…" Raven felt like her mind was going in a million different directions at once, and she was suddenly confused on how she was actually caring on a coherent conversation with Beast Boy right now. In fact, she was confused on how she managed to focus on a single thought each second. She pinched the bridge of her nose and stopped moving, trying to keep the walls from spinning around her. "You know what, I don't have _any_ explanation. That is the only thing I can possible think of at this moment, as much as it doesn't make sense."

"I mean… it could…"

"Please… Gar, _think _about what you're about to say…" Raven felt the color leave her face and she had to sit down at her desk, looking across the room at him. "_Adonis_ would be able to access my powers through our bond. Let's not even consider how powerful and dangerous that could possibly be. I do not want to think that a recently released criminal, running from our team, has the potential to access my powers. Even if the only power he can access is the ability to dreamwalk…" She shuddered. "No. I just don't want to think about it."

"Raven…" He trailed off and let his head fall into his hands, as if admitting defeat. "I can't think about this right now. It's almost two o'clock in the morning, the others are going to come home any minute, and we're up in your room trying to figure out if Adonis and I can access your powers _through_ our accidental bond with you. This is the stupidest and most asinine thing to be doing at this hour." He mumbled a few curse words and dropped to her bed again.

"I know…" She ran a hand through her hair. "I know… but what else are we going to do?"

"_Not_ this at two o'clock in the morning?" He leaned down and picked up a book that had flown off the shelf, running his fingers over the spine. "I mean… it'll still be here in the morning, won't it?"

"Yes… but what if I'm not?"

He rolled his eyes and sighed. "You don't have to be so dramatic."

"I've got _Adonis_ knocking around in my memories, I think I deserve a few dramatics in all of this."

"Okay, good point…" He trailed off and let the silence fall between them again, continuing to fidget with the books in his hands. "So, now what? We just keep fighting and talking about this until we pass out? Or worse? I've seen you when you're tired,Raven, things explode and we all get sent into another dimension. Or, we have another reenactment of _Wicked Scary_."

"Okay, okay… you _also_ have a point…" Raven took a deep breath and leaned forward, resting her forearms on her knees. Looking at him in the faint light of Jump City skyline, she saw his own exhaustion on his face, and she realized that she had woken him up from his own sleep. It was yet another reminder that she wasn't the only one fighting demons in this battle. They were both mentally beaten, worn through until they were raw and threadbare, and she knew that if they didn't get this under control, they were going to fall apart.

But, if Raven wanted to be honest with herself, she would admit that she was afraid to fall back asleep. She knew what waited for her in her dreams. The moment she closed her eyes, she would be forced to relive the defilement of her dreams and memories again. She would be forced to feel Adonis's hands on her body, his breath on her neck, and this time, who knows what else he would do to her? If he could torture her beyond measure in the few hours she was asleep, what could he do with the rest of the night? Raven didn't want to find out.

She bit back a curse and stood up, walking away from Beast Boy.

He growled low and soft in his throat, annoyed with something. "I know you're worried about falling asleep, Raven. You don't have to hide it from me."

Damnit. He read her so well. She turned around and kept her face blank. "You weren't there, Gar… you don't know what he did to me. _Every _memory of us, was turned into something morbid and perverse. Memories that I cherished. Moments that meant more to me than anything else were turned into a game for him, just some fun, sick way to torture me… I don't know how much more I can handle of it, and I was only asleep for a few hours."

Beast Boy looked away, color flooding his face. "So… stay with me." His ears drooped, as if he were ashamed or embarrassed of something. He mumbled something under his breath before continuing. "I mean… you can stay in my dreams… if you want."

At the mention of his dreams, Raven's own face burned bright red and she turned to look out her window, suddenly fascinated with a barge floating by in the bay. "I don't want to bother you. That's _your _territory, Gar…" She trailed off debating on whether or not she should admit to him that she saw his fantasy. She decided _not _to go down that path first. "Those are your personal emotions and memories, and it's not right for me to invade them."

He sighed. "Raven, we don't have to beat around the bush… I know you saw my fantasy."

Raven turned around and looked at him. "_Your_ fantasy?"

He sighed again, not quite meeting her eyes. "You don't have to play that game. We _both _know that you know that was my fantasy." He held up his hand before she could deny his accusation, effectively stopping her. "Look, I don't want to talk about it right now, because I'm exhausted and I don't trust any of the words that could _possibly _come out of my mouth… also it's super embarrassing, but I don't want us to ignore it either." He rubbed the back of his head and groaned. "Let's just both admit that you saw my dream, and leave it at that, okay?"

Raven ignored the heavy, sinking feeling in her stomach and nodded. Was he ashamed to admit his fantasy to her? And why in the world did that hurt? She shook off her concerns and pretended to be unaffected. "Okay… but, I still don't want to go walking into your dream again, Gar. What if I can't outrun him this time? What if he manages to follow me in? Or worse, what if I bring my own tortured dreams with me and you are forced to watch them too? There are too many variables in this scenario, and I don't trust any of them."

"So, you're just going to stay in your own dreams and watch me die for eight hours every night?" He snorted and rolled his eyes. "_That _sounds like a great way to make yourself certifiably _crazy_."

"Thanks for your vote of confidence." Raven returned his eye-roll and looked back out the window. "I just don't want to chance it. It's too risky and it's too dangerous, and I don't want to put either of us in a situation that dangerous. The answer is no. It's not happening."

"I think it should. One night is _not_ going to hurt us." He stood up and walked next to her looking out the window. He paused, and she felt him trying to work up the courage to finish his proposition. "Let's make a compromise then. For the rest of tonight, you can stay in my dreams… I know it's… _awkward_."

_That_ was putting it mildly.

"But it's safe, for right now. And tomorrow morning we'll work on fixing this together." He fidgeted for a moment, eyes following the same barge that slid through the still waters of the bay. "It's not supposed to be a permanent fix, but it'll give you a little bit of rest and you won't have to watch me die for the rest of the night."

Raven sighed and looked over at him. "You're not going to let this go, are you?"

He gave a sad, broken smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "No."

"Then let's just save us both time and I'll concede." She stepped back, effectively putting space between them. "Albeit reluctantly."

"Somehow that doesn't make me feel any better."

"If it's any consolation, it doesn't make _me _feel any better either."

"It's not, but thanks for sharing." He offered a low chuckle, breaking the tension in the air.

On the floor below them, they could hear the sound of the living room doors opening and Starfire drunkenly stumbling into the tower as Robin attempted to hold her upright.

"Robin! Cyborg went home with Bumblebee – it was so nice to see her, I did not anticipate her arrival – and Raven and Beast Boy have retired to their sleeping quarters… that means that we are alone. Are we not? If so, then I propose that we shall do that thing you like to do! That one with the handcuffs and the-"

"Starfire!"

"What? That is your favorite game is it not?"

"Well… I…"

Raven looked over at Beast Boy who was as red as she was. She cleared her throat and looked back out the window, listening as Robin pulled her down the hall, toward their wing of rooms and away from Raven's innocence.

"Well, _that _was something I did not need to hear in my life time."

"I guess if Robin was going to have a fetish it _would_ be handcuffs."

Raven snorted. "Meaning he can't _ever _let go of the job?"

"Or the job can't let go of him… you know, until it's time for _the job _to be done."

Raven turned to him and raised an eyebrow. "That was such a tactless joke."

He laughed. "When have you _ever_ known me to be tactful?"

"Good point."

)O(

_I know that this wasn't exactly as long as some of the other chapters, so I hope you'll forgive me. Also, I had several reviews last chapter about not making Raven whiny/dramatic and I caught myself making the same mistakes I did with _Primeval. _That being said, I need reminders to keep me on track or I'll meander down a path I do not want to go. _

_Anyway, I believe this story will be wrapping up in the next four chapters or so, so I hope you'll stick with me until then (Raven turns super BA in the last chapter and the scenes I have planned make me giddy to write). Anyway, let me know what you think. Thanks again for reading!_


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